The Gambit
by NEIWIS
Summary: When Ares' shield is stolen, it is up to Reyna, Annabeth, and Piper to find it The three, armed with a new prophecy, have a week to return what was stolen. If they fail, Ares will wage a war that will throw both camps into chaos. To succeed, the three demigods must face old enemies and make new, uncertain allies. Part two of the Ultionem trilogy.
1. The Ultimatum

**This is the sequel to Reyna's Party. I hope everyone enjoys.**

* * *

Piper would like to think that she was a patient person. She could handle most situations without violence. If a situation did seem like it would turn violent, she could use charmspeak as a last resort. All of these diplomatic thoughts did not occur to her as she saw Clarisse LaRue.

Clarisse was not someone you would want to fight. Like all children of Ares, she had dark, beady eyes that glared everyone down. Her hand ran through her brown hair before it moved to the dagger that was resting on the table in front of her.

Most campers had kept clear of Clarisse and her cabin over the last month. The children of Ares had been on a warpath that seemed to have no end in sight. No one knew who to blame, since Olympus was closed. Was Ares manipulating his children to cause them to fight, or were his children simply bored?

The Aphrodite cabin could not claim innocence. They had broken up almost every relationship in the camp. It didn't matter if you were a child or Ares or not. If you made the children of Aphrodite mad, your relationship was going to pay the price.

Something had to be done about the relationship between the two cabins. That was why Piper and Clarisse had agreed to meet. Chiron agreed to oversee the meeting, so he could keep the bloodshed to a minimal.

Piper took a deep breath as she examined the room. Her gaze turned towards the ping pong table that separated her from Clarisse. The daughter of Ares was flanked by two of her siblings. Piper decided to come alone.

"Thank you both for coming," Chiron began. He stood in between the two of them. That only made it easier to see his horsetail flickering nervously. "I understand that your parents are fighting each other, and the fighting has created tensions between your two cabins."

"Well, we could just wipe every child of Aphrodite from the face of the earth," Clarisse suggested with a sneer. Her two siblings laughed. "That should relieve the tensions."

"These peace talks are not going to work," Piper said as she looked at Chiron. The words just slipped out of her mouth. While she did want peace between the two cabins, she could feel herself preparing to attack Clarisse. There didn't seem to be anything she could do to stop herself.

"We both know that this is only a formality," Clarisse snapped. "There is nothing to talk about. Your mother is accusing my father of killing some loser that she was seeing. Father didn't do that, but your mother is angry regardless. Maybe, I should give her something to be angry about!"

"Try it," Piper snapped as she jumped to her feet. She didn't know why her mother was angry. All she knew was that her mother had been courting a man for half of a year. Apparently, that was a record for her.

Ares took offense to the prolonged relationship. He sent one of his own children to kill the man that Aphrodite was courting. Once the deed was done, the assassin disappeared off of the face of the earth.

Since Aphrodite had no proof of who killed her lover, she could not punish anyone without backlash from the other Olympians. Ares taunted Aphrodite about it, and that only caused more problems. Tensions between the two immortals quickly increased.

Then, Ares tried to attack Aphrodite. Athena was able to separate the two, but word quickly leaked. It became a struggle to keep the two cabins from fighting. The breaking point came a week before when three children of Ares attacked a child of Aphrodite. The poor girl had practically been killed, and the cabins were not allowed any activities together after that.

"You both need to calm down," Chiron said. He seemed to understand how tense everyone in the room was, and he looked ready to break up any fighting. "There has been another incident on Mount Olympus, and Ares is threatening war."

"And?" Clarisse wondered. She propped her feet up on the table and started to clean a dagger. Piper's hand moved to own dagger.

"War is one of the worst things that can happen," Piper argued. She bit her tongue, so she wouldn't say anything else. Chiron glanced at her and motioned for her to take a deep breath.

"Miss McLean is correct," Chiron confirmed, and he took his own deep breath. "Ares is threatening war on more than just Aphrodite. Athena and Bellona are also facing his wrath."

"What do you mean?" Clarisse asked with a raised eyebrow. She moved her dagger to clean her nails. "Why would Ares blame Bellona? I thought they were friends."

"I don't know the exact reason," Chiron replied. "The Olympians have been tight lipped. For now, we must discuss how we are going to stop the conflict between your two cabins."

Piper remained silent and thought about the new information. Her eyes moved to the ceiling. Seeing a child of Ares caused her blood to boil. She wanted to attack them instantly, and it had been like that for the past month. Piper first discovered it when she attacked Frank during Reyna's birthday party, and now, she had an explanation for it.

"How are we going to do that?" Piper finally asked. Chiron seemed to ponder the question. After a few moments, he opened his mouth to respond. A door behind Piper slammed open.

"Chiron," a young camper wheezed. Piper whirled around. A girl was panting for breath and leaning on a wall. "I think I just broke my sister's record for running here, and the children of Ares and Aphrodite are about to fight."

Chiron swept towards the camper and gently grabbed her arm. He slung her across his back and looked behind him. Chiron spoke, "We must hurry."

Before they could respond, Chiron galloped away. Piper walked towards the door, and Clarisse shoved right past her. A sneer was shot at Piper. It took the daughter of Aphrodite a moment to ignore it and jog towards the dinner pavilion.

When the dinner pavilion came into sight, Piper's stomach dropped. Most of the campers were still sitting at their tables, and they seemed too scared to move. A brave line of demigods were standing in between the children of Ares and Aphrodite. There seemed to be no violence, yet.

"Calm!" Chiron yelled. He deposited the camper on his back and walked towards the two tensed cabins. "We must all stay calm!"

"We have been calm long enough!" a child of Aphrodite yelled. Piper slowly made her way forward. She stopped by Chiron's side. After a moment, Clarisse followed her.

"Maybe, you should grow a pair and fight us!" a child of Ares yelled back. One of his hands wiped pizza sauce from his face. Piper glanced at her siblings. Thankfully, no one had grabbed their weapons, but it seemed inevitable that fighting would break out.

"We all need to calm down," Piper yelled. She put as much charmspeak as she could into the words. Anger made it harder to focus. It took a deep breath to help her forgo just telling her siblings to attack the children of Ares. They cold not afford any violence.

Before Piper could say more, a bright light blinded her. She took a few steps back and blinked rapidly to try and see again. The only thing she heard was shocked noises and babbled words. Piper finally rubbed her eyes and managed to see properly.

A woman stood ten feet from her. The woman wore a set of golden, Greek battle armor. Her face, excluding her mouth and red eyes, were covered by a helmet. One hand gripped a spear, while the other hand gripped a shield.

"Greeks!" the goddess yelled. Her voice radiated power. For what seemed like dramatic effect, she slammed her spear into the ground. Piper felt adrenaline rushed into her body, and she felt like she could take on the world. The other campers seemed to have the same look in their eyes.

"Most of you may not know me," the goddess said. She didn't raise her voice, but it still echoed throughout the dinner pavilion. Her voice reminded Piper of the generals that she had seen in war movies. "My name is Enyo: goddess of war! Many of you may have mistake me for that Roman Bellona. I can assure you that I am not."

Enyo glanced around the at the campers before continuing, "I know you have heard the rumors of discontent on Mount Olympus. Ares and Aphrodite seem to be at war. They are not now, but soon, they will be. My brother, Ares, has had his shield stolen. Who would dare steal the shield of the god of war?"

Enyo stopped talking and seemed to wait for a response. When no one offered one, she smirked and spoke, "I have a few ideas of who it could be. Before I identify these traitors, I must establish the consequences. For the last time, my brother has been humiliated. The other Olympians refuse to take his claims seriously. They stand by the usurper: Aphrodite. War is the only solution."

"Ares will start a war on anyone who dares to defy or insult him. I will follow him, as will his sons. This can be avoided, if two stipulations are met," Enyo continued. "First, Aphrodite must understand that Ares was not involved with the murder of her so called lover, and with this understanding, there must also come an apology. The second is that the thief, or thieves, steps forward into the light and returns what they stole."

When Enyo finished, no one made a sound. The threat was slowly sinking in, and everyone started to whisper. Piper stared at Enyo. A confident smirk was plastered on Enyo's face. After a few moments, Chiron stepped forward.

"Who do you believe stole the shield?" Chiron asked. His voice seemed to break the stunned trance of the campers. The children of Ares huddled closer to each other. Everyone else stepped away from them. A few other children moved from their tables to join the children of Ares.

"I say we start with the obvious: Piper McLean!" Enyo said. Piper looked up in surprise. She met Enyo's shining eyes. "Piper McLean is the favored daughter of Aphrodite. It makes sense that she would steal the shield for her mother, or that she used her charmspeak to convince someone to do her dirty work for her."

The children of Aphrodite moved closely to Piper, as if to protect her. Jason was also making his way through the children of Aphrodite. He spoke, "Piper would never do any of those things."

"Would Annabeth Chase steal the shield then?" Enyo questioned. She seemed to enjoy the spectacle that she was making. "The daughter of Athena owns a hat of invisibility, and did I mention that she was a child of Athena? Her mother and my brother have been feuding since they were born."

"Why wouldn't Athena steal the shield? No one would suspect her, and it would weaken Ares," Enyo continued. "Annabeth Chase is also one of the few people that have been allowed on Olympus, since it was closed. No one would suspect the architect of Olympus."

"Every time I am on Mount Olympus, I am with my mother and Zeus," Annabeth said calmly. She was one of the demigods that had been separating the Ares and Aphrodite cabin. Now, she was standing near Percy. "And, my mother would understand the consequences of stealing Ares' shield."

"If it was not you two, it must be the third suspect, and she will be confronted shortly," Enyo stated. Piper exchanged glances with Annabeth. Who was the third suspect? Before Piper could ask, Chiron cleared his throat.

"How do you know the shield was stolen by a camper?" Chiron wondered. He had moved his way to Piper's side, so he was standing in front of her protectively.

"Hypnos saw the gleam of the shield as the thief disappeared in the elevator. The damned fool did not realize what was happening, and he was too tired to identify any of their features. Thankfully, he was able to sense that they were a demigod."

"You could always cross reference the day that he saw the shield disappear to the people that visited Olympus at the time," Malcolm, a son of Athena, suggested. Enyo looked at him and laughed cruelly.

"Do you think we did not try that?" Enyo demanded. "Hypnos had been sleeping the entire month, and Ares has been away for two months. We don't know what day the shield was stolen, and Hypnos thought it was one of his dreams. He only offered the information when he overhead Ares questioning other immortals."

"I have faith that Piper McLean and Annabeth Chase did not steal the shield," Chiron promised.

"That remains to be seen," Enyo said coldly. "The thief, whether they are here or not, has only a week to return the shield, or my brother will start a war. Everything that you love will be destroyed."

With those happy words, the goddess began to show her true form. Everyone quickly looked away from the blinding light. When it was gone, every camper slowly turned back.

Piper met Annabeth's eyes again. Her own concern was reflected in Annabeth's eyes. Jason's hand gently grabbed Piper's shoulder in a protective gesture.

It only took Piper a moment to realize that everyone was staring at her. Most of them were whispering to themselves. Their faces all held accusations they didn't dare voice.

"Go back to the Big House," Chiron whispered. Piper nodded and felt Jason gently led her away. It only took a moment for Percy and Annabeth to follow. As they moved further away from the dinner pavilion, they could hear Chiron giving orders.

"Why is Ares accusing you two?" Jason asked. He fell in step with Piper and gave her a reassuring smile.

"They're children of Aphrodite and Athena," Percy replied with a shrug. "It's natural for Ares to suspect them first. I'm only wondering who the third suspect is."

"Someone at Camp Jupiter," Annabeth suggested. "I'm guessing a child of Venus that is there. Either way, we'll have to find the shield to clear our names."

"It looks like we're back to saving the world, again," Percy agreed with a goody grin. "Hopefully, there isn't some terrifying prophecy to go with this one."

"I thought you two would be tired of saving the world," Jason commented. Piper nodded her agreement. Saving the world once was enough for her. She didn't know how Percy and Annabeth could stand it.

"It's become a normal things," Percy said with a shrug. "Besides, what is the worst that can happen?"


	2. The Prophecy

When Annabeth stepped into the Big House, she expected it to be empty, since everyone was at dinner. Annabeth didn't expect Dionysus to be sitting next to the fireplace with a group of kids seated near him. Based on their appearance, the kids were from different cabins, and they were probably some of the youngest campers at Camp Half-Blood.

"I want everyone to listen closely. Story time is about to begin, and I am not going to repeat myself," Dionysus began. He shot an annoyed glance at the four demigods that had just walked in. Annabeth met his gaze. She knew that Dionysus had been forced back to Camp Half-Blood to continue to serve his sentence, and that put him in an even worse mood than normal.

"That is the daughter of Athena," Dionysus said as he stared right at Annabeth. "She is the annoying head counselor of her cabin, but she may not be for much longer. About two minutes ago, she was accused of stealing Ares' shield. Does anyone know what happens to a thief, especially one that steals from the Olympians?"

A young girl raised her hand. When Dionysus made the slightest of motions to her, she spoke, "Bad things?"

"Bad things," Dionysus agreed. "Those bad things include death, and that is probably what is going to happen. Did you know that the daughter of Aphrodite was also accused; therefore, she is facing the same threat of punishment. How many of you think that they worked together?"

"Actually, I don't want anyone to answer that," Dionysus said, as he held up a hand. "I really don't care what you think. My greatest dream is that all of the campers disappear from this camp. If you did, I would not have to serve my punishment anymore. Since Olympus is closed, why am I the only one who has to interact with you demigods?"

"So, you're having a lesson with these kids?" Percy questioned. He looked around awkwardly. "And, shouldn't you have a different topic of conversation?"

"This demigod here is the most troublesome," Dionysus said, and he pointed towards Percy. Every kid turned to look at the son of Poseidon, Percy rubbed the back of his neck and gave them his troublemaker grin. "He manages to get involved in every situation that we have."

"I was dragged into half of those things," Percy corrected. Annabeth gave him a look that warned him it wasn't the time.

"Somehow, he is not involved with the latest drama on Olympus," Dionysus commented. He acted like Percy had not spoken. "It is all the Olympians can talk about. It's quite annoying really. You would think that they are use to having Ares and Aphrodite fight over mundane things."

"Wait, that's all they can talk about?" Annabeth asked curiously. If the Olympians were so focused on the argument between Ares and Aphrodite, they wouldn't notice other, smaller things. Her mother would though.

"It should also be noted that children of Athena are very wise, but they cannot hear," Dionysus muttered. He opened a can of diet coke and sighed deeply. "It is the only interesting thing that has happened that has not involved a war. We don't need anymore wars."

Annabeth couldn't argue with that. She heard the door behind her open, so she turned around. Annabeth expected to see Chiron, but instead, Rachel Dare stumbled through the door. Her face was red from running, and she was trying to catch her breath. There was a distraught expression on her face.

"Rachel?" Percy questioned. He turned around and walked towards the Oracle of Delphi. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Rachel glanced at him, but her face looked completely distracted. As she took a step forward, she opened her mouth. Rachel, before she could say anything, stumbled forward. Annabeth stepped forward to catch her, but Percy was there first.

"Something is happening," Rachel whispered. Her voice was normally calm, but now, she sounded like she was in intense pain. Percy quickly helped her sit down. There was definitely something wrong with the Oracle. Rachel' powers of prophecy had been blocked ever since the war with Gaea, and it didn't seem like it would be unblocked any time soon.

Dionysus stood and walked towards them. He looked vaguely concerned, which meant he was really concerned. It was an odd look for him. The god of wine studied Rachel silently. He went to touch her, but Rachel suddenly stiffened.

Rachel looked at them. Her green eyes were now completely black, and the look on her face sent shivers through Annabeth. Rachel spoke in a voice that wasn't her own, "_Wisdom, war, and love will combine. They shall stop the plans of the divine._"

Annabeth stared. Rachel was speaking in some language that she had never heard of before. It had to be more ancient than Greek. Somehow, they understood it.

"_The curse shall be lifted. The greatest of rewards will be inflicted_," Rachel continued. Annabeth felt Percy grip her arm. As he did, a chill ran down Annabeth's spine. The words scared her.

"_The betrayals will be exposed. The wrath of the sky shall be imposed_," Rachel finished. Her eyes turned back to their normal shade of green. Then, she collapsed forward. Dionysus caught her.

Dionysus glanced at the group of kids that were sitting near the fireplace. Annabeth had completely forgotten about them. Dionysus cleared his throat and spoke, "Children, you can leave."

"What just happened?" one of the kids whispered as the group stood. "Was that a prophecy?"

As the group left, the whispering became more intense. Annabeth stood there and tried to work her way through the prophecy. She looked at Dionysus. There was fear in the eyes of the Olympian. That look shook Annabeth to her core.

"I will make sure the Oracle has her rest," Dionysus said. He awkwardly shifted Rachel in his arms and quickly walked out of the Big House. A concerned looking Chiron entered a moment later.

"Why is Dionysus carrying the Oracle?" Chiron asked. He looked exhausted from the events of the past ten minutes. Before answering, the four demigods looked at each other awkwardly. Jason cleared his throat.

"Rachel had a prophecy," Jason began. "It wasn't like one of her normal prophecies. Her eyes were black, and she spoke in some ancient language."

Chiron's face turned a stark white. He quickly turned away and spoke, "Why don't we all sit at the ping pong table and discuss the prophecy."

Annabeth exchanged glances with her friends. All four of them knew the prophecy wasn't good news. If it was enough to make Chiron react like that, something terrible was going to happen.

The four demigods walked towards the ping pong table and sat in the various chairs that were scattered around. Percy sat next to Annabeth and gripped her hand. Jason and Piper sat across from them and didn't say anything.

"What did Rachel say?" Chiron questioned. The color was back to his face, but there was still fear buried in his eyes. He had a pad of paper in front of him.

"Wisdom, love, and war will combine. They shall stop the plans of the divine," Annabeth began. "The curse will be lifted. The greatest of rewards will be inflicted."

"I thought rewards were suppose to be good," Percy interrupted. "Inflicted sounds the exact opposite of good. It makes it seem like someone is being forced to take the reward."

"If you are forced to a take a reward, it probably won't be good," Piper commented. She looked at Chiron. "The betrayals will be exposed. The wrath of the sky shall be imposed. Those are the last two lines of the prophecy."

"So, the wrath of the sky would be my father then," Jason guessed. "Is he angry about Ares' shield being stolen?"

"It could be Zeus, or it could be anyone who has anything to do with the sky," Annabeth said. She watched Chiron finish writing the prophecy down.

"Wisdom and love has to be you and I," Piper stated. She looked at Annabeth. "Assuming we are going on a quest to retrieve the shield, we will be working with whoever war is, but who are they?"

"A child of Ares," Percy suggested. He was rolling his pen between his fingers. It was something that helped him stay focused. "That goddess, Enyo, might have a kid."

"So, this is a quest," Jason said. He looked at Chiron and received a nod. "I want to come."

"I'm coming too," Percy said quickly. He looked at Annabeth. "I am not going to leave you behind."

"Both of you can't," Annabeth said. She looked at Percy sadly. The two of them had been inseparable since their journey in Tartarus. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to. "We can only have three demigods on the quest, and neither of you are a child of war."

"The betrayals do not sound good," Chiron said. He was studying the demigods with an odd look. It was like he felt someone else should have been there.

"Do we know what the curse could be?" Piper asked. She seemed to realize that there was too many curses for them to keep track of. Annabeth sighed tiredly and tried to think of any that jumped out at her. None did.

"I know who the third person is," Chiron said. His voice broke the silence that was starting to settle over the room. Annabeth had spent the walking over to the table thinking of who the third person could be, and her mind settled on Clarisse. That was probably the last person she wanted the prophecy to refer to. Working with the child of Ares would be near impossible.

"I recall telling Miss McLean that Ares is having issues with Athena and Bellona as well," Chiron explained. "I believe that war refers to the daughter of Bellona."

"So, Ares is going to accuse Reyna?" Jason questioned. "I know for a fact that Reyna would never do anything like that."

"Enyo seems to believe so," Chiron said. He sighed and looked at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena returned his gaze. There was no way he actually thought Reyna would do anything like that.

"Who is Enyo anyway?" Piper questioned. "I don't really recall reading anything about her, and no one here seems to know her either. I don't even think she has any kids."

"Enyo is always mistaken as the Greek form of Bellona, but that could not be further from the truth," Chiron explained. "In ancient times, the Greeks loved Enyo. They enjoyed her chaotic way of waging war. The Romans were different though. They liked more order in their battles, and that is where Bellona came from."

"Usually, Enyo would have gained a Roman form, but the Roman way of war was extremely different from hers. The Romans created their own goddess in the form of Bellona," Chiron continued. "Bellona represents a calmness in battle; she is the moment you take a deep breath and examine the battlefield."

"So, Enyo is a chaotic mess in battle?" Percy questioned.

"Kind of like you," Jason commented. Percy looked at him and stuck his tongue out. Then, he leaned back and yawned tiredly. Annabeth shared the sentiment.

"Percy is correct," Chiron confirmed. "Enyo has always represented the chaos of a thoughtless attack. She is like the general who desperately throws their troops at an enemy."

"Is it fair to say that Enyo doesn't like Bellona?" Annabeth asked.

"The two hate each other. Mars and Bellona, depending on the year, are either the best of friends or the worst of enemies. Enyo gets along with the god of war in whatever form he is in," Chiron replied.

"That only makes it look worse for Bellona, but Reyna wouldn't steal the shield. She couldn't steal it. She has been dealing with injuries for the past month, especially with her knee," Jason said as he tried to defend his friend.

"Reyna could still walk," Annabeth said. She didn't think that Reyna stole the shield, but they needed to lay out the facts. "There was also plenty of times when she was alone."

"You seriously don't think that Reyna stole the shield," Jason said incredulously.

"None of us do," Percy promised. "We just need to lay out everything on the table. If someone is framing Reyna, they would have to know about her condition. Either way, we should inform Reyna."

Percy dug around in his pocket for a golden drachma. He managed to find one and pull it out of his pocket. Piper suddenly looked up and spoke, "Hylla. Would she have anything to do with it?"

"Hylla has been busy with Thalia for the past month. From what I have heard, they have spent every moment with each other. As weird as it sounds, I think they were sleeping in the same bed," Annabeth explained. She remembered the Iris message where Thalia explained the situation. Hylla had made a few suggestive eyebrow raises, but it was quickly shut down by Thalia.

"They're rebuilding the Amazons and Hunters, right?" Jason questioned. Annabeth nodded. Before anyone else could talk, Dionysus walked into the room and towards the ping pong table.

"Who stole the shield is not the most important question," Dionysus said. He sat in a chair and looked at Chiron. The two of them seemed to have a silent conversation. "You must ask yourself about the prophecy; who sent it?"

"You have an idea," Piper guessed. Dionysus nodded, but he looked weary. There almost seemed to be a bit of fear in his eyes. It made Annabeth's curiosity flare up. Dionysus sighed and looked away from them.

"I hope I am wrong," Dionysus whispered in a small voice. He looked at the ground and didn't elaborate. Looking at Dionysus, Annabeth understood that the answer would chill her to the bone.


	3. The Third Suspect

Taking a break from praetor duties was not something that Reyna enjoyed. She almost wanted to find Frank and throttle him for suggesting it, but that would make a bad example for the rest of the legion. For now, all she could do was sit back and enjoy the food that Nico smuggled in.

"You cannot chug that in under ten seconds," Nico said. Reyna glanced at him. Then, she looked down at the can of soda in her hands. Despite the conversation happening thirty seconds ago, she didn't remember it.

"I can do anything I want," Reyna finally countered. She looked at Nico. He was stretched out on the couch, and there was a plate of pizza on his chest. Nico looked pretty content. Reyna glanced down at her knee.

About a month ago, her knee had been injured. The initial injury came from a Laistrygonian giant slamming a club in her knee. After the Laistrygonian giants were defeated, Reyna was attacked by rogue Amazons.

Since her knee had been practically broken, the Senate assigned her to a week of bed rest. It had been the worst week of Reyna's career at Camp Jupiter. When Reyna returned to her duties three weeks ago, everyone kept bothering her about her knee. It didn't help that she still had a limp.

To get away from everyone's nagging, Reyna had gone to the movies with her sister, Hazel, Piper, and Annabeth. Before the Roman demigods could meet up with the Greek demigods, they were attacked by a drakon.

Reyna had never fought a drakon before that day, but they killed it pretty easily. Then, a second drakon had attacked. This one was the mother, and it was pissed off. The Romans had decided to split up and run, and the drakon chose to chase after Reyna.

It took assistance from a mysterious girl named Sarah, a building falling on the drakon, and a Titaness just to get the drakon to leave. The Titaness, Rhea, had given Reyna a vial, with the warning that it would be the most important thing that Reyna ever held. She still had no clue what was really in the vial.

Nico was the only one who had been told the truth about what really happened. For some reason, it didn't feel right to tell the story to her sister. Reyna had fabricated a story about finding the vial on the ground after the drakon disappeared.

Reyna's hand moved to the necklace that held the vial. The vial itself was tucked under her shirt, and no one at Camp Jupiter really paid attention to it. As Reyna reflected on the events of the past month, she laid her head back.

If Reyna had to pick the worst part of her month, it would be what had happened almost a week ago. In the middle of a senate meeting, Reyna had passed out, due to a case of appendicitis. She had been trapped in a mortal hospital for days.

Reyna wasn't eighteen, so she couldn't just have the surgery, unless her condition became life threatening. Even though she had passed out, her appendix wasn't about to burst, so they needed her guardian's permission. Reyna had been stupid enough to mention her sister. The hospital refused to commit to a surgery, until Hylla gave them permission, but it had been hard to get in contact with Hylla.

"Frank just wants you to relax," Nico said. Reyna must have been scowling. She glanced at her best friend but finally looked away.

"It's stupid," Reyna muttered. "I shouldn't be forced to sit on a couch unable to deal with issues that arise in _my _camp."

Her biggest problem was the growing tensions between the children of Mars and Venus. It was getting harder and harder to keep the children from fighting. Unlike Camp Half-Blood, there had yet to be a fight. There was only yelling matches.

Frank deserved a lot of the credit. He had done everything in his power to keep his siblings from fighting the children of Venus. Frank was also the first one to become aware of the problem. That was because Piper tried to club him with a glass bottle at Reyna's birthday party.

When he told Reyna about it, the two debated what to do. It didn't seem like much would come from the incident, but they took precautions anyway. The children of Mars and Venus were kept apart at all times. War games were suspended, but Frank, for some reason, brought them back for that night.

Reyna was going to chew him out for that decision. They couldn't chance an incident happening. Reyna glanced at Nico. They both jumped as there was a knock on the door.

Nico jumped to his feet and stepped towards the door. Reyna glared at him. After a moment, she stood and tried to hide a wince. Her knee, for reasons she didn't know, still ached. Reyna watched Nico open the door.

"Praetor," a camper said. They were slightly out of breath, as if they had just finished running. Reyna walked towards the camper and identified him as a child of Ceres from the fourth cohort. "You are needed at an emergency senate meeting."

"What happened during the war games?" Reyna asked. Even though she wasn't wearing her cloak or armor, the camper looked terrified. He swallowed painfully.

"Lord Mars interrupted," the camper began. Reyna's heart dropped. There was no way that something good was about to happen. An Olympian didn't just drop by for a friendly chat. "He demanded that we hold an emergency senate meeting."

Reyna grimaced. Emergency senate meeting was code for someone is in big trouble. She just hoped that it wasn't her. Reyna spoke, "Did he ask for anyone by name?"

"Yes," the camper replied. He gulped. "You."

"I had better go then," Reyna said. She did her best to hide the surprise and fear on her face. Why did Mars want to see her? She had not done anything.

"Don't get into too much trouble," Nico commented. He was standing by the table, and his fingers nervously tapped against his thigh. Reyna nodded and stepped out of her house. Her best friend followed behind her.

"Are you going to keep me from that trouble?" Reyna teased. On the inside, her heart was starting to pound. She took a deep breath to get it under control. Reyna glanced at the children of Ceres who was standing there in silence. "Dismissed."

The camper nodded and scurried away. Reyna walked towards the senate building She focused on calming her pulse and staring ahead. Nico stayed by her side, and they walked in silence.

"Why do you think Mars called for a meeting?" Reyna asked after a minute. Her only thought was that Mars wanted to talk about his children. He didn't like how they were handling things, so he was going to take matters into his own hands.

"It probably has something to do with his kids," Nico replied. Reyna nodded and sighed deeply. She rubbed her face and tried to think. Nico walked beside her.

"Stay in the shadows," Reyna said. She glanced at Nico. "I don't want Mars to focus on you."

Nico tried to protest, but Reyna shook her head. She gently shoved him towards the shadows as they neared the senate building. The praetor took a deep breath and opened the door. When Reyna stepped inside, all eyes turned towards her. The most important belonged to the Roman god of war.

Reyna walked towards Mars and bowed. As nervousness took over, her jaw clenched. She spoke, "Lord Mars, what do we owe the honor?"

"Thief," Mars hissed. While the room was quiet before, that single word caused all noise to cease. Reyna glanced at the shadows and saw Nico. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Father," Frank began. He had been sitting by the rest of the senate, but he made his way to Reyna's side. Reyna glanced at him.

"Don't speak," Mars snapped. He looked at Reyna and took a step forward. "While I was away from Mount Olympus, you stole my shield. I want it back."

"My lord, I didn't steal anything," Reyna promised. She forced herself to stand her ground. Since Mars was an Olympian, he couldn't actually hurt her, unless she attacked him. That was not going to happen.

"I have been away checking on ancient monsters and the Titans. Things have been stirring ever since the war. For some reason, you decided this would be a good time to steal my shield," Mars said. He was the size of a human, but he looked terrifying in his full set of Roman armor.

"Reyna wouldn't do that," Frank interrupted. Members of the senate jumped to Reyna's defense. She could see their mouths moving, but her ears were ringing. It was hard to tell if the ringing was from anger or surprise. Why was she being accused?

"Silence!" Mars snapped. The room fell silent again. Mars looked back at Reyna. "I want my shield back, thief. You have one week to return what you stole. There will be dire consequences if you fail."

"I will wage against you, your mother, and everyone who has ever insulted me," Mars continued. "My children will turn against you. Is that what you want, praetor?"

"Lord Mars, I would not steal your shield," Reyna swore. She could see how horrible a war would be. There was no way that they could afford it. Reyna needed to try and talk some sense into Mars.

"Your mother and I had a large disagreement. It would make sense that she wants revenge. Even if that is not the case, my most trusted ally blames you. I have more reason to believe them than some puny demigod," Mars said.

"You have a week from today, thief. If you fail, I will not hesitate to wage war," Mars threatened. He looked around the senate and smiled cruelly. "My children will wage war as well, and it will be all your fault."

"You can't wage war on everyone," Nico interrupted. He stepped out of the shadows and clenched his fist. Mars turned on him.

"I can, and I will," Mars promised. He looked back at Reyna. "You have one week, starting now."

Reyna wanted to protest and convince Mars that he wasn't thinking right. Someone else had stolen the shield. Instead, she nodded and spoke, "I'll find your shield for you."

Mars growled. He started to glow. Reyna closed her eyes and turned her head away. When she looked back, everyone was staring at her. Then, they all started asking questions at the same time.

It was Frank who held up a hand. He gave Reyna a cautious glance and cleared his throat. Frank spoke, "I know we have a lot of questions, but we must calm down. My fellow praetor did not steal my father's shield. I know that; however, it sounds like Mars has issued a quest."

Reyna glanced at Frank and met his eyes. She gave him a small, approving nod. All she could think about was Mars' threat. Why had he been in an argument with her mother, and why was Reyna getting dragged into it?

"Is this a bad time?" a voice asked. Reyna blinked and realized an Iris message was right in front of her face. Annabeth and Chiron were both watching her closely. The rest of the senate was also staring at the Iris message.

"We are in the middle of a senate meeting," Reyna replied. Considering Chiron was there, Reyna figured that they wanted to discuss something important, but her brain was still focused on Mars. At the moment, she didn't need any other problems.

"This is really important," Annabeth said. She met Reyna's eyes, and there seemed to be fear there. Reyna frowned. That was not like Annabeth.

"What happened?" Frank questioned. He stepped closer to the Iris message.

"About twenty minutes ago, Piper and I were accused of stealing Ares' shield. We were discussing the possibility of a quest, and then, Rachel had a prophecy," Annabeth explained. Members of the senate started to whisper to each other.

"I thought Rachel's prophetic powers were broke," Frank said. "Are they back?"

"What does it have to do with us?" Reyna asked. A pit of nervousness was forming in her stomach. Annabeth's look didn't make her feel any better.

"It was a prophecy, but it wasn't the kind of prophecy that we normally have," Chiron explained. "Miss Dare's eyes turned black, and she spoke in the most ancient of languages. Praetor, we believe that the prophecy referred to you."

"So, where did the prophecy come from?" Reyna questioned. Annabeth and Chiron exchanged glances. Annabeth finally took a deep breath and looked back at Reyna.

"The Fates," Annabeth answered. Reyna stared at her for the longest time. She finally closed her eyes and decided that her luck was the absolute worst.


	4. The Preparations

When Reyna opened her eyes, she found that Annabeth was watching her. Everyone seemed to be watching her. They wanted to know what her reaction was, but how could she react to the fact that the Fates had made a prophecy that mentioned her? When did the Fates even start making prophecies?

Annabeth grabbed a piece of paper and read the prophecy from it. To Reyna, the words were like static. She was still in shock from Mars appear. The prophecy was too much for her brain to handle.

A few deep breaths calmed her down. Reyna focused back in and studied Annabeth. She had no clue what the prophecy was, but that was probably for the best. If someone focused too much on a prophecy, they would become obsessed with it. That usually led to their downfall.

"Piper and I believe that we are love and wisdom," Annabeth said. "We are prepared to go on a quest, and we want Reyna to join us."

Reyna wanted to comment that they didn't really have a choice in who would go, but instead, she nodded and spoke, "It would be a honor to go on a quest with you two. According to Mars, we only have one week to find the shield."

"We will have to vote on how much help to give," Frank said. The rest of the senate was too stunned to respond. Reyna swallowed painfully.

"That won't be necessary," Chiron interrupted. Reyna glanced at him. The centaur gave her a kind smile. "Camp Half-Blood can provide any supplies that are needed. We were wondering if Camp Jupiter could provide a few soldiers to help keep the peace."

Reyna glanced at her fellow praetor and nodded. Her eyes swept over the senate, and all of them gave slow nods. They had yet to come out of their shock. Reyna sighed and felt a headache forming.

"We can do that," Frank replied. "We will send out some of our campers tonight, and we will make sure they hurry."

"Thank you," Reyna added. Chiron watched her with a kind face, but his eyes betrayed him. There was a look of something like doubt in his eyes. Reyna didn't know if he thought that she had stolen the shield or if he was just nervous about her being on the quest. Either way, it wasn't good.

"Frank will assume all praetor responsibilities until I return. Everyone is dismissed," Reyna said. She focused on Annabeth's face. As the senate filed out of the room, the two stayed silent. Frank stayed by her side, and Nico was walking towards them.

Reyna rubbed her forehead. The headache was getting worse by the second. When she heard the doors of the senate building close, she looked up at the Iris message. Annabeth was watching her symptomatically.

"How did Dionysus know that the Fates sent the prophecy?" Nico asked. "That doesn't seem like something that someone just knows."

"The black eyes were the tip off," Chiron responded. "There are only a few entities that can tell the future, and the Fates are the only ones who would be associated with black eyes."

"Before we learned about the prophecy, Enyo accused Piper and I of stealing Ares' shield. That was during dinner and in front of everyone," Annabeth said. "Did Ares accuse you?"

"My father appeared in the middle of the war games," Frank explained. "He demanded that we stop and that a meeting be called. Then, he accused Reyna of stealing his shield, in front of the senate."

"Mars gave me a deadline of a week to find the shield," Reyna added. A week seemed like a long amount of time, but she knew just how fast it could pass. "That deadline starts tonight, so technically, we will only have six day."

"We will have to meet somewhere and soon," Annabeth said. She rubbed her chin as she seemed to think. Her eyes betrayed how fast her brain was moving.

"I can shadow travel Reyna to Camp Half-Blood," Nico suggested. Reyna glanced at her best friend. He seemed to disregard the fact that Will told him no shadow traveling. Nico really like to push his limits.

"No," Reyna said. "All three of us have been awake all day. I think we'll be too tired to make any progress. We should start tomorrow. We'll be well rested."

The headache also wasn't helping matters. It felt like someone was playing drums with her skull. Reyna slowly spoke, "I can meet you two somewhere in New York. I'll take Guido and meet you in the morning. Does six sound good?"

Annabeth glanced to her right and smiled. She spoke, "It is for me, but Piper looks scared at the thought of it. Where do you want to meet at?"

"Angela's," Reyna responded. She gripped her forehead and just wished that the headache would go away. "It's some kind of family restaurant, and it is not far from Camp Half-Blood. Do yo know where it is?"

"We can find the address. We'll meet you there," Annabeth said. She studied Reyna for a moment before running her hand through the Iris message. Reyna slowly looked at Frank.

"I'll keep things stable here," Frank promised. He sighed to himself and looked down. "I'm sorry my dad is doing this to you."

"It's not your fault," Reyna replied. She looked at Frank. "If anything comes up, I want you to send an Iris message to me. We'll be back before the deadline."

"I don't doubt it," Frank said. Reyna managed a smile and turned away. She walked out of the building and towards her house. Her smile was lost as the pain in her forehead came back stronger than before.

Nico followed behind her. He spoke, "I can't believe Ares accused you of stealing his shield. That thing isn't even worth your time. If you aren't leaving tonight, why are you in such a rush?"

"I need to be prepared," Reyna muttered. Her mind focused on the items that she would need. Weapons, of course, were the most important thing. She would need clothes and some medical supplies. Legion training had taught her to never take more than a duffel bag or backpack anywhere.

"You don't think this quest is going to be a walk in the park, do you?" Nico asked. Reyna nodded distractedly. She felt Nico nudge her. "How come?"

"Quests never are," Reyna replied. She rubbed her temples. "At my birthday party, do you remember the card that I received that was blank for everyone but me? The envelope had a business card in it for that restaurant. I think that is where a lead is."

"Athena sent you the card, right?" Nico questioned. Reyna nodded. "Do you think she will be there?"

"I don't know," Reyna answered. "I'm not sure how nice Minerva is feeling towards Romans, even though she did give me her blessing on my cloak. Either way, I just feel that it is a good starting point."

As Reyna made it to her house, she sighed in relief. Nico opened the door for her, and they stepped inside. Reyna's two dogs rushed towards her. A snap of her fingers stopped the two in their tracks. She knelt by her dogs and spoke, "I have to go on a quest. You two need to stay here with Frank and help him."

"Do you need me to do anything?" Nico asked. He stepped past her and looked around. Reyna motioned for him to follow her. They walked towards her room.

"Should I wear a full set of armor?" Reyna asked. She rubbed her chin. A full set of armor would be more protective, but it would draw more attention. Reyna sighed and closed her eyes.

"I'm not sure," Nico answered. "I haven't been on a quest like this before. According to stories I hear, most demigods don't wear armor on quests."

"That's surprising," Reyna commented. She finally decided on a breastplate. It could be worn under a jacket, and it would also protect her vital organs. Reyna grabbed her breastplate and tossed it on her bed. A duffel bag followed it.

Reyna turned to grab clothes and almost collapsed against her dresser. Pain tore through her head, and the pain quickly became unbearable. Reyna closed her eyes tightly. A memory ran through her head.

"_I think that all magic is evil," Reyna said as she looked at Lupa. The wolf watched her with a curious look. The daughter of Bellona looked down at the picture in her hands. Her gaze focused on it, and anger filled her chest._

"_Is all magic evil?" Lupa asked. She circled around Reyna. "Magic is only a weapon."_

"_It's used for evil," Reyna countered. She put the picture of her and her sister away. With Lupa watching, the daughter of Bellona stood. She picked up the sword that was there for training. It felt unbalanced in her hand._

"_Is magic the only thing that can be used for evil?" Lupa questioned. She stopped her circling and watched Reyna. "Magic is only evil if that is what the user intends. It is no different than a sword."_

"_With a sword, you rely on your own skill to win," Reyna argued. She stabbed forward and rolled to the side like Lupa had taught her. It was the basic strategy for fighting a hellhound. One person would be a distraction, and the other would hit the hellhound from behind. "Magic relies on your own energy to be cast. It feeds off of you like a living thing."_

"_That is where the witch is wrong," Lupa said. She growled at Reyna's form. "When fighting monsters, you need to stay light on your feet. Fighting with one weapon is different than what the pirates taught you. They only care about themselves."_

"_I will be in a pack. I must think like one," Reyna said repeating the mantra that Lupa had taught her. She was aware of Lupa's eyes burning into her. It made Reyna uncomfortable, but she stayed focused on her task at hand._

"_When we fight another person, we stay strong in our stance. They cannot move you, as you will be a brick wall," Lupa said. She watched Reyna repeat the same maneuver for a few minutes. Lupa finally growled and motioned her head towards the ground. "There is another piece of business that we must discuss."_

_Reyna quietly sat down. She played with the sword in her hands. Reyna wiped the sweat from her head and finally spoke, "Is it about my English?"_

"_Yes," Lupa answered. The wolf motioned towards a stack of books. "You have told me that your English is limited. The witch spoke to you in Latin or Spanish. When you join the legion, you must know English."_

_Reyna nodded quietly. She stood and walked towards the pile of books. The first one she saw was the book titles that were in Spanish. Other books had English that she could not understand._

"_You will spend most of your days teaching yourself English. These books should help you," Lupa continued. Reyna nodded quietly and continued to examine the books. It brought her back to the time she would spend in Puerto Rico reading outside. It helped keep her away from her father._

"_The Art of War," Reyna read quietly. She ran a finger over the title of the book. Her older sister had mentioned the book once or twice before. Reyna didn't know much about it, but if Lupa wanted her to read it, she would._

"_It is a book that you will come familiar with," Lupa said. There was a tone to her voice. It was like she knew something that Reyna didn't. "Now, I was you to repeat the maneuver for fighting a hydra."_

"Reyna, you there?" Nico asked. Reyna blinked a few times as she snapped back to reality. Nico looked at her in concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I zoned out," Reyna answered. She had no clue why the memory had come back so vividly. All she wanted to do was stay focused on the quest before her. The memory brought back the thought of magic, and that brought back the thought of Circe. Reyna really didn't want to think about Circe. If there was a bright side, it was that her headache was gone.

"Was it more than zoning out?" Nico wondered. He must have noticed the scowl on Reyna's face. Reyna forced her expression to go back to neutral. She considered her answer.

"I was just remembering some of my time with Lupa," Reyna answered. She quietly grabbed a dagger that she was going to take with her. Reyna tossed it up into the air. With her eyes on Nico, she caught the dagger by the handle. "It was the day I began to learn English."

"You didn't know English?" Nico asked. He sat on her bed. "I assumed that you just learned when you were a kid or that Hylla taught you."

"I knew bits and pieces of English, but there was no way that I could hold a conversation. Hylla never had time to teach me properly, and I don't think she had the patience for it," Reyna explained. She tossed the dagger on her bed and grabbed a book that was under her pillow. As Reyna stared at it, memories came flooding back.

"What do you think about the prophecy?" Nico asked. "I don't think the Fates have ever handed out a prophecy. If they took the time to send it, the prophecy has to be important."

"It can't be anything good," Reyna replied. She grabbed more daggers before grabbing clothes. "It just bothers me that they couldn't give us a straight answer. Maybe, they could have told us who the divine is."

"While they were at it, they could have told you where the shield is," Nico joked. He quickly turned serious. "Rhea did warn you that something big is coming. Do you think this is it?"

"Rhea said that I was one," Reyna commented. She started to place items into her duffel bag. "It doesn't make sense though. The stealing of Mars' shield doesn't seem that bad. I understand what his consequences are, but it's not going to come to that."

"It could be a distraction," Nico commented. He frowned and seemed to be lost in thought. "Either way, you three should probably find the shield and return it as soon as possible. In fact, I would be disappointed if you didn't find it tomorrow."

"No pressure," Reyna said with a small smile. She focused back on packing. Her hand grabbed her sword. "Let's spar. I won't be here for a week, and we can't let that Greek training rust your actual battle skills."

"Reyna, you are going down," Nico promised. "It's going to be exactly how Sally beat you and Annabeth in Risk."

"I was injured and not in the right state of mind," Reyna said. She led Nico towards the living room. Sparring would be a nice distraction. "And, you are the one that is going down."


	5. The Goddess of Wisdom

Annabeth frowned as she stopped at a red light. She could not find a sign that told them Angela's was near. It didn't help that rain was falling heavily, and her windshield wipers were struggling to keep up. Piper sat in the passenger seat. Her gaze was focused ahead.

There was no real way for them to start a conversation. How about that prophecy? One of us is going to have a reward imposed on us. We'll face the wrath of the sky. There will be betrayals. Isn't that great?

Truthfully, Annabeth was a little bitter. She just wanted things to calm down. The occasional monster attack would be fine. The quests were starting to grow irritating. Could the world fall apart and not drag her into it?

Annabeth, as she drove, remembered the night before. After they finished finalizing plans for the quest, Annabeth went back to her cabin. After packing, she had spent most of the night awake. When all of her siblings had fallen asleep, she had gone to Percy's cabin.

They spent almost every night together. When they were wrapped in each others arms, the nightmares couldn't bother them. During the day, it was enough to know that she was out of the darkness. Annabeth sighed sadly as she thought of her boyfriend.

"It's on the right," Piper said. Annabeth glanced to her right and flipped on her turn signal. She turned into the parking lot of the restaurant. There didn't seem to be any customers, but there was an open sign on the door. Annabeth pulled into a parking space.

"Do you see Reyna inside?" Annabeth asked. She put the van into park and tried to look inside. The rain made it nearly impossible to see. Piper frowned as she leaned forward.

"I can't see anything," Piper answered. She squinted and shook her head. "I don't think Reyna is in there. Do you think she is still flying over?"

"I'm not sure, but we can wait inside," Annabeth replied. Piper nodded her agreement. The two slowly stepped out of the van. They were instantly pelted by the rain. Annabeth quickly put on her hood. As she closed the van door, she saw someone in the mirror.

"I thought that Greeks could park," Reyna commented. Annabeth turned to look at the daughter of Bellona. Reyna had her own hood up, but it was impossible to mistake her black eyes. Annabeth smiled at her friend and took a moment to examine her. Despite the fact that Reyna should have been soaked, her clothes looked moderately dry.

Reyna slipped a duffel bag off of her shoulder. She tossed it into the back of the van and spoke, "I just got here as well. It seems like we are having good time. Piper, how are you?"

"I'm good," Piper said as she stepped out from behind the van. She examined Reyna. "I heard the breastplate is in style. Annabeth is even wearing it."

"I love fashion," Reyna commented with a small smile. She zipped up her jacket the rest of the way to hide her breastplate. Annabeth's jacket covered her own breastplate. Piper was the only one without armor, but her dagger was strapped to her side. "We should get under something that will protect us from the rain."

Annabeth didn't protest, and she led her friends under an awning. They all stood around for a moment. It felt like they had all just realized that the quest had begun. Annabeth took a deep breath and looked at her friends.

"Did you get any sleep?" Piper questioned. They didn't need an answer to know that Reyna hadn't. There was bags around Reyna's eyes. Her eyes were red as well.

"I'm fine," Reyna replied. She glanced at the restaurant and blinked a few times. It seemed like she was trying to blink away the tiredness. "Should we get breakfast first, or did you two already eat?"

"We haven't ate yet," Annabeth answered. "When we woke up, we headed right over. I don't think either of us are fully awake yet. If we get breakfast, we can talk things over and make a plan."

Annabeth watched her two companions for a moment. They both nodded, but their faces told completely different stories. Piper seemed happy to be able to sit down and make a plan. Reyna looked like she just wanted to rush in and find the shield.

"Do we have a list of suspects?" Reyna questioned. She took off her jacket and tried to wring water out of it. Annabeth and Piper followed her example. "And, are any of those suspects not our mothers?"

"It could be anyone who is an enemy of Ares," Piper stated. Annabeth frowned. That statement did not narrow down their choices. Out of all of the Olympians, Ares probably had the most enemies.

"Hephaestus is suspect, but I don't think he would send a person to steal the shield. He would probably send a machine," Annabeth responded. She put her jacket back on and zipped it up. Her breastplate helped protect her from the coldness of the rain.

Upon stepping inside, Annabeth found that there was only one patron in the restaurant. As she met the woman's eyes, her stomach did a flip. Reyna tensed next to her and slowly turned her head. The daughter of Bellona spoke, "Is that who I think it is?"

"My mother," Annabeth confirmed. Her mind started racing. Why was Athena there? Olympians usually didn't help on quests, unless they wanted something in return. Athena wasn't someone that just gave out answers either. Someone would have to earn them.

"Is she in her Greek or Roman form?" Reyna asked. She stayed still as a waitress walked towards them. Athena had her eyes focused on them, but it seemed like she was really focusing on Reyna.

"Her Greek form," Annabeth answered. She knew it in her gut. "My mother will be fine with you. She knows all that you have done, and she gave you her blessing on your cloak."

"Can I get you three a booth or a table?" the waitress asked. Annabeth took a moment to look at her mother. The waitress grabbed three menus and watched them patiently.

"We're meeting someone. She's right there," Piper responded. The waitress nodded and led them towards Athena. Reyna seemed a little more hesitant to follow, but she was only a step behind them.

Athena watched them the entire time. She was wearing a plain, white dress, but it looked regal on the goddess. Athena's gaze lingered on Reyna. It was like she wanted to find some kind of weakness in the daughter of Bellona.

"Lady Athena," Reyna greeted. She swallowed painfully but stood strong. Despite whatever fear Reyna was feeling, she refused to show it. Athena studied her for a few more moments.

"Roman," Athena said. The word sounded like poison on her lips. Her attention moved towards the two Greek demigods. "Piper. Annabeth."

"Mother," Annabeth greeted. She watched her mother extend a hand to the booth in front of her. There was only enough room to seat two people. Piper sat by the window, and Reyna sat next to her. Annabeth was left to sit next to her mother, which was probably the wisest choice.

"We do not have much time together, so you must listen closely," Athena said. She glanced out the window. "The shield is a distraction for something much bigger, but I do not know what it is. That is why you three must go to North Dakota."

"Is the thief in North Dakota?" Piper asked. She seemed a little intimidated by Athena. Annabeth couldn't blame her though. If anyone asked her, the most dangerous immortal was Athena. Her brains were more valuable than anything else.

Athena didn't respond. She glanced to her left. Annabeth took that as her cue, and she spoke, "It wouldn't be that easy. There has to be something in North Dakota that will lead us to the shield, but it is likely that the thief is not there."

"There is not something but someone," Athena corrected. "They may be able to help you, but you must convince them first. Even if you manage that, I am not sure how this will play out. It is a gamble that must be made."

"Can you tell us anything about this person?" Reyna questioned. The goddess turned her gaze towards Reyna. A scowl grew on her face. The daughter of Bellona simply averted her eyes and waited for a response.

Annabeth saw the look that Piper sent to her. Piper was wondering what Reyna had done wrong, and truthfully, Annabeth was wondering the same thing. The goddess was being hostile for no obvious reason. Did she think that Reyna had stolen the shield?

"Mother, is there anything else we should know?" Annabeth asked. Athena glanced at her, but she soon looked back at Reyna. To her credit, Reyna was staring to the right of Athena's head and continued to remain emotionless.

"Yes. Roman, look at me," Athena ordered. Reyna took a deep breath and met Athena's eyes. The goddess watched her for a long moment. "Don't screw up."

"Yes ma'am," Reyna said. Her teeth were clearly clenched. She glanced at Annabeth and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I will be back."

Reyna walked away without waiting for a response. She walked towards the bathrooms and disappeared behind a wall. Annabeth looked at Athena and spoke, "Mother, what are you doing?"

"I am being hard on the Roman," Athena replied. Her tone made it seem like her response should have been obvious. Annabeth glanced at Piper against. Why was Athena acting like this? The goddess wasn't a teddy bear, but she was treating Reyna like she was an outsider.

"She has a name," Piper interrupted. She immediately looked like she regretted it, as Athena looked at her. Piper sat up a little straighter, but she averted her eyes to look back at the menu.

"I agree, but she is a Roman, "Athena said. She glanced down and examined the menu distastefully. Annabeth frowned as she watched. She had hoped that mother would begin the process to forgive the Romans for how they treated her. With how Athena was treating Reyna, that hope was almost extinguished.

"Reyna has a done a lot of good," Annabeth argued. She tried to continue, but Athena held up a hand. The goddess glanced at where Reyna had gone. The frown on her face deepened.

"This conversation will go nowhere, and we are wasting precious time. The Roman will play a crucial role in what is to come. That is one of the reasons I am giving her a hard time," Athena explained. She sighed, and it almost sounded like she was tired.

"I told you earlier that the shield is a distraction," Athena continued. "Ares cannot see past his anger and pride to see that. He wants to wage a war that will divide Olympus. That is why you three must make it back by the deadline."

"We will," Piper promised. Annabeth nodded her agreement. There was no way that they could fail, especially if the stakes were so high. Athena's eyes flickered away, and she seemed to be lost in thought.

"If you three do not return before the deadline, Bellona and I will hold a meeting with Ares. We will try to convince him to come to his sense," Athena finished. She looked at Piper. "Daughter of Aphrodite, you are one of the few children of your mother that I respect. I want you to remember that your power lies within your speech, not within your charmspeak."

"Thank you," Piper said, after a moment. She slowly looked at Annabeth. It seemed like Piper was in shock and wondering if she had heard the goddess of wisdom correctly. Annabeth looked at her mother and found that her mother was watching her.

"Annabeth, you must remember who you are. You must remember who your friends are," Athena said. "The future will not be easy, but you are one of the proudest things of my immortal life. I know that you will find the shield, but I want you to be safe."

Annabeth swallowed painfully and tried to blink back tears. She didn't think anyone could get a higher honor than that. Annabeth looked up and saw Reyna turn the corner. Upon seeing Athena, Reyna slowed her pace.

"Excuse me," Athena said. Annabeth quickly stood. She watched her mother exit the booth and walk towards Reyna. The daughter of Bellona simply looked at the goddess and remained silent. Athena's voice was too quiet for Annabeth to hear, but she saw Reyna nod determinedly.

"Your mom is kind of terrifying," Piper commented. Annabeth nodded her agreement. She was busy watching her mother and her friend. Athena turned back around. There was a small smile on her face. It wasn't a happy smile, but it was one that said Reyna would do. Annabeth's curiosity was sparked.

Reyna walked back towards them. She sat by Piper and looked at the menu. The daughter of Bellona didn't say a word. After a few moments of Annabeth's intense staring, Reyna looked up.

"Are we going to trade off driving to North Dakota?" Reyna asked. She glanced at Annabeth and waited for an answer. Annabeth studied her for a moment before nodding.

"I'll drive first, so you can get some rest," Annabeth replied. She studied Reyna for a few more moment. Reyna looked distracted, and that sparked Annabeth's curiosity even more. She needed to know what her mother had said.

"You don't want to know," Reyna commented. It was like she had read Annabeth's mind. She flipped through the menu. The waitress walked up to them and asked them what they wanted to drink. Annabeth was forced to wait till they gave their drink orders. When the waitress walked away, she leaned forward.

"I do want to know," Annabeth promised. "When my mother was done talking to you, she turned around and was smiling. Athena does not smile for no reason."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Reyna stated. She looked back down at the menu and bit her lip. "Do you two think that waffles or pancakes would be better?"

"Satisfaction brought the cat back," Annabeth countered. Her eyes darted down to the menu. "I would go with waffles. I image that Camp Jupiter doesn't have much of that."

"I thought curiosity was framed," Piper added. Reyna rolled her eyes and flipped a page of the menu. It seemed like she was trying to act annoyed. Annabeth smiled. This quest was going to be fun.


	6. The Girl

As Annabeth drove, she kept hand on the steering wheel and the other on the radio knob. The only radio station they could get was for the weather. Everything else was static, and the van didn't have a working CD player. The three were left to listen to the sound of the rain.

To Annabeth, it was odd. Storms were appearing all over the country. Desert states were also being hit hard. Arizona was under a flash flood warning. Annabeth let go of the radio knob. She stayed focused on the road. It was nice to have a vehicle, for once.

"North Dakota is far," Piper commented. She was looking through an Atlas and highlighting their route. They had bought it as soon as they finished breakfast. "It's going to about a twenty five hour drive."

"It won't be so bad with two drivers," Annabeth promised. Between her and Reyna, they would make good time and probably only need to stop for gas and food. If they got fast food, that would save them some time. She just wished that she had music. "Hopefully, the shield will be nearby."

Annabeth also hoped that the rain would calm down. The last thing she needed was to drive through a construction zone with rain pouring. She took a deep breath and focused on the road in front of her.

"Reyna looks peaceful," Piper commented. She looked behind her. Annabeth glanced up at the rearview mirror. She could see that Reyna was asleep, and her head was resting against the window. Her cape was being used as a pillow.

"I doubt she got any sleep on the way here," Annabeth said. She glanced up at the sky. Somehow, it had gotten even darker, but Annabeth didn't think that was possible. Lightning danced across the sky, and thunder roared.

"Can we drive in the storm?" Piper asked. She seemed surprised by the sudden thunder. Piper leaned back in her seat and played with her jeans. "Or, should we pull over?"

"We can drive in the rain, as long as we're careful," Reyna replied. Annabeth glanced at the rearview mirror. She saw Reyna rubbing her eyes. The praetor slowly looked outside.

"Did the storm wake you up?" Piper teased. Instead of responding, Reyna rested her head against the passenger's seat. "We could turn up the weather station. It might help block out the rain."

"It's fine," Reyna mumbled. It sounded like she was starting to fall back asleep. "I just don't like thunderstorms. They always freaked me out as a kid, and they never mean good things."

"I thought you liked rain," Annabeth commented. She thought about it for a moment. "So, you like rain by itself. You don't like it when there is thunder and lightning with the rain."

"Yeah," Reyna confirmed. It was odd to hear her sound so tired. "Annabeth, when you want to take a break, wake me up."

"I will," Annabeth promised. Her eyes focused on a road sign, and lightning suddenly struck the road in front of them. Annabeth jerked her steering wheel to the left to swerve around where the lightning had hit.

"What happened?" Reyna asked quickly. She sounded completely awake now. Annabeth just stayed focused on the road and kept her foot off of the gas pedal. Her thought process was that they should slow down. Lightning struck the ground in front of them again, and Annabeth jerk the wheel to the side.

Annabeth heard the squeal of tires, and the van suddenly fell on its side. Annabeth's head slammed into glass, and she blacked out for a few moment. When she opened her eyes, the van was dead silent.

It took Annabeth a moment to get her bearings. The van seemed to be laying on its passenger side. She turned her head to look at Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite had her arms covering her head.

Piper slowly lowered her arms and looked at Annabeth. She had blood trickling out of her mouth and a split lip. A quiet groan from the back told them that Reyna was at least conscious.

"Can you get out?" Piper asked. It took Annabeth a few moments to realize that Piper was talking to her. Annabeth blinked a few times and nodded. She tried to unbuckle her seat belt, but it wouldn't budge.

"I'm stuck," Annabeth said. She closed her eyes painfully. There was pain in the side of her head. "I might have a concussion. Reyna, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Reyna replied, which sounded like a lie. "Give me a moment."

Annabeth heard the sound of a van door opening. Her door opened a moment later. Annabeth slowly looked at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona grabbed a dagger and cut the seat belt.

Annabeth almost fell into Piper, but she caught herself with her feet. It also helped that Reyna had a tight grip on her jacket. With Reyna's help, Annabeth managed to climb out of the van.

"You're bleeding," Reyna commented. Her eyes were flickering around for threats. Annabeth knew that Reyna was probably having flashbacks to being attacked by Laistrygonian giants. Annabeth slowly looked around.

They seemed to be in some kind of ditch. The van was completely on its side, and she would have to find someway to jump down. They also needed to pull Piper out of the van. Annabeth doubted she would be able to help. Her head was pounding,

"I'll help you down," Reyna said. "Then, I'll help Piper out. Do you have a concussion?"

"Maybe," Annabeth replied truthfully. Reyna helped her down from the van. As soon as Annabeth's feet were on the ground, she heard a growl. She saw Reyna turn and grab the hilt of her sword.

"I can handle this," Annabeth promised. It took one second for Reyna to nod and focus back on the van. Annabeth blinked a few times to get adjusted to the darkness. She looked around for any sign of a monster.

Annabeth grabbed her dagger. It was strapped to her shoulder. Her sword was in the back of the van, and there was no way she could spend time prying the door open. Annabeth took a step around the van, and lightning struck the ground right in front of her.

Annabeth stumbled back stunned and surprised. Something heavy slammed into her a moment later. The force slammed her to the ground, and her head cracked against the unforgiving asphalt. If she didn't have a concussion before, she definitely had one now.

A hellhound stared down at her and licked its lips. All Annabeth could see was red eyes slowly moving closer to her face. The hellhound opened its mouth, but it suddenly disintegrated on top of her.

It took a few moments for Annabeth to realize that her life had just been saved. She slowly looked up ready to thank Reyna or Piper for saving her. Instead, she saw that Reyna was just pulling Piper out of the van. They both looked at her.

"Are you hurt?" Reyna asked. She jumped down from the van. Reyna offered a hand. After a few moments of dazed blinking, Annabeth grabbed her friend's hand. She was pulled to her feet.

"I'm okay," Annabeth replied. She slowly looked around and saw movement in the shadows. There seemed to be a figure in the treeline, and they were lowering their bow. When Annabeth blinked, they were gone.

Piper walked towards her and knelt by the pile of monster dust. It took her a moment to grab an arrow and hold it up. Annabeth stared at the arrow, as she realized it was what had saved her. Besides the smiley face carved into the shaft, the arrow looked normal.

"I don't think Hunters of Artemis carve this into their arrows," Piper commented. She looked around. "Who did this?"

"I don't know, but they saved my life," Annabeth said. She closed her eyes painfully. Someone pressed something into her hands.

"Eat this," Reyna ordered. Annabeth opened her eyes and looked at the ambrosia in her hands. There was no complaints as she ate it. "We should start walking. We aren't safe here."

"Where are we going to go?" Piper asked. Instead of answering, Reyna pried open the back of the van. She handed Piper her backpack. Then, she grabbed her duffel bag and Annabeth's backpack.

"There's a gas station about a quarter of a mile back down the road," Annabeth answered. She became acutely aware of how bad it was raining. Their clothes were almost soaked, and their bags would soon follow. "Reyna, I can carry my bag."

"Let's go," Reyna said. Without waiting for a response, she started to walk. Annabeth sighed and followed. Was Annabeth as bossy as Reyna?

"Was the lightning trying to hit the van?" Piper asked. Annabeth took a second to remember the moments before the crash. It seemed like the lightning was trying to hit them, or it was trying to knock them off the road. She didn't know which one was worse.

"I think so," Annabeth answered. The pain in her head was mostly gone. "Someone did save me. I just wonder how they knew where we were."

"Do you think we're being followed?" Reyna asked. The daughter of Bellona quickly grabbed her sword handle. She looked around as if scanning for threats. For the first time, Annabeth could see that Reyna was walking with a limp.

"Reyna, are you hurt?" Piper questioned. She seemed to have noticed the limping as well. Reyna slowed her pace, so she fell in step beside them.

"I'm more concerned about Annabeth's head," Reyna said. Annabeth did not appreciate the deflection of the question. It was a smart move, but they weren't about to let Reyna hide her pain. Annabeth looked at the praetor.

"The ambrosia fixed whatever damage the crash and hellhound did," Annabeth promised. "Reyna, your knee was hurt pretty badly. If it got injured again, we need to know."

"My knee slammed against the van's door," Reyna admitted. She looked away and focused ahead. "It hurts, but I'll be okay. Piper, do you have any injuries we should know about?"

"It's only my lip, and I bit my tongue," Piper responded. She fixed her own hood. The rest of the walk was spent silently looking out for threats. Reyna seemed to be the most on edge, and she kept turning around.

It felt like hours before they reached a lone gas station. There was only one car parked outside. Annabeth picked up speed until they were at the front door. She then realized that they were soaking wet.

The gas station attendant looked at them. Annabeth met his eyes, and he motioned for them to come in. Annabeth held the door open for her friends. As Piper stepped inside, she tried to wipe her shoes on the floor mat, but it didn't do much to help. They were soaked to the bone.

"Is there a hotel nearby? Our van broke down, and we need some help," Piper said as she walked towards the counter. There was a small amount of charmspeak in her voice. It seemed like Piper didn't realize it, or she was just worried that they were going to get kicked out of the gas station.

Reyna walked towards an aisle that contained bags of chips. Before she had turned away, Annabeth saw a look of anger and disgust on her face. Annabeth followed behind her and spoke, "You don't like charmspeak, do you?"

"We were both at Circe's island," Reyna answered. She didn't meet Annabeth's eyes. "You know what she did with it. I trust Piper, but when I hear charmspeak, it takes me back. I remember when Circe would use it when a guest got unruly or if she needed to keep an attendant under control."

There was no missing the bitter tone. Annabeth brought a hand up to touch Reyna's shoulder. Her hand pulled away at the last second, and she covered the movement by pushing her hood down. Annabeth ran a hand through her wet hair.

"We should get some snacks," Reyna suggested. Annabeth nodded and looked at their selections. As she reached out, they heard the door open. Pure curiosity caused Annabeth to turn her head.

"Reyna, heads up," Annabeth whispered. She stared at the person that had stepped into the gas station. The thing that stood out was the fact that the person had a bow slung across their back. There was a bag of arrows across their back as well. A quick count showed only eleven arrows in the bag.

"George, what's up?" the person asked. Annabeth identified the voice as belonging to a girl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Reyna stiffen. "Have you seen this freak weather? The only thing I can find tonight is rabid dogs."

"Sarah, hasn't your curfew passed?" George questioned. The girl, Sarah, chuckled slightly. She glanced at Annabeth and Reyna. Even though it was near impossible to see her face, Annabeth was sure that Sarah was grinning.

"What dad doesn't know won't kill him," Sarah responded. "I see that you have a beautiful girl you are talking to, so I won't take up anymore of your time."

Sarah turned and walked down the candy aisle. Reyna pushed past Annabeth and walked towards the archer. It took Annabeth a moment to follow. Upon seeing them, Sarah took a step back. Her hood allowed her features to stay out of sight.

"Long time no see," Reyna said. She crossed her arms and watched the archer closely. "What are you doing here? Actually, you can tell me how you know about me and my sister."

As Reyna talked, she stepped closer to Sarah. For each step that Reyna took forward, Sarah took a step back. It wasn't long before the archer hit a wall.

"It was a fun time with the drakon," Sarah commented. Annabeth frowned. This was the girl that had helped Reyna with the drakon, but they didn't seem to be friends. Reyna had also been sparse on the exact details. "If I may say, you look hotter than before."

Reyna opened her mouth. Then, she closed it. Reyna seemed taken aback by the comment. Sarah tried to move, but she was slammed back into the wall.

"Why did you save me?" Annabeth asked. She stepped closer to them and hoped that Piper was distracting George. The last thing they needed was for George to call the cops on them.

"You're kind of hot," Sarah answered. Reyna unsheathed her dagger. "Wait! Hey, we're cool. You don't need to do this, okay? I saved Annabeth, so you guys could find the shield."

"You know my name?" Annabeth asked. Sarah seemed to shrink underneath her gaze. "And, how do you know about the shield? How did you know where we were?"

"Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena. Everyone knows you," Sarah said. "I don't know where the shield is, but I know that it needs to be found. And, I've been following you. Well, Reyna is the one that I have been following. Can we please put that dagger away?"

Reyna finally sheathed the dagger. She spoke, "Rhea told me that you would lead me to allies or enemies. You know about demigods, the shield, and my family. Who are you?"

Annabeth turned to look at Reyna. There was nothing about Rhea in the story that she had told everyone. It also sounded like Sarah had a bigger role in the story.

"When you get to North Dakota, you will get your answers. Together, we can find the shield. I want to be allies, Reyna. It's not safe for me to talk to you two anymore," Sarah said.

"No more games," Reyna said. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me who you are. Who is your godly parent? Why isn't it safe for you to talk to us?"

"North Dakota," Sarah repeated. "That's where our home base is. Now, I would love to stay and chat with you two, beautiful women, but I have to get going."

Annabeth stepped to the side. Before she could blink, Sarah was already out the door. Annabeth slowly looked at Reyna and spoke, "What happened with her?"

"When I woke from the building collapsing, Sarah was talking to someone in an Iris message. She was going to bring me in. Rhea saved me and gave me the vial around my neck," Reyna explained. "I don't know what is in the vial."

Annabeth nodded. She lead Reyna back towards the counter. Along the way, they grabbed snacks and drinks. Reyna paid at the counter.

"Who was that?" Piper asked George. She also glanced at Annabeth and raised an eyebrow that asked the same question.

"Her name is Sarah. I see her about once a week," George answered. "She usually hunts with another group of kids."

Annabeth frowned. There was no way that Sarah could be a Hunter of Artemis. There would be no reason for Sarah to be so mysterious, unless she was going against Artemis' orders. Why would she do that though? It just didn't sound right.

"Anyway," George said. He looked back at Piper. "The nearest hotel is two miles to the east. All you need to do is turn right when you walk out of here and follow the road."

"The road that we were just walking on," Annabeth realized. "We will have to double back and pass by the van again. Do you think it will be safe?"

"Why wouldn't it be safe?" George asked. Annabeth blinked and realized they were still talking in front of a mortal. She sighed tiredly and looked at her friends.

"The rain isn't that safe to walk in," Piper answered smoothly. "We'll be fine though. Thank you for your time."

Annabeth watched Reyna stuff their food into a duffel bag. Reyna's mind seemed to be racing, and Annabeth didn't blame her. The meeting with Sarah had given them many questions, but so far, they had no answers.


	7. The Hydra

Reyna silently placed a hand to her sword's hilt. After the incident with the hellhound and running into Sarah, nothing else could be left to chance. She had retrieved the sword from her duffel bag, and it was currently hanging from her belt. Reyna squeezed the sword's hilt and sighed.

North Dakota was their destination, but they didn't have a way to get there. Reyna could hotwire a car, but that would put them on the wrong side of the law. They couldn't afford that kind of altercation, so they would have to find another way to North Dakota. Thankfully, it was only the second day of the deadline.

Reyna glanced back at her companions. Her gaze focused on the Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was in a deep conversation with Piper about the next game of capture the flag. Athena's words ran through Reyna's head:protect my daughter.

Protecting people was something that Reyna could do, but it was much harder to do on a quest. There was so many things that could happen, and Reyna wouldn't be able to do much about it. Only Jupiter knew what kind of monsters could attack them. There would also be danger in confronting the person that had stolen the shield.

Annabeth was also more than capable of handling herself. If there was a bright side to the request, it was that Athena cared enough about her daughter to ask someone else to protect her. Some mothers weren't like that. It took Reyna a moment to shove the bitter thoughts aside. Later, there would be time to be angry, but first, they needed to get to the hotel.

As Reyna looked up, she saw the wrecked van in front of them. Something was wrong though. Reyna couldn't put her finger on it, but it caused her to go on edge. Her nerves were frayed enough by the encounter with Sarah. A twig suddenly snapped.

Reyna turned towards the noise and unsheathed a sword. Instincts caused her to throw herself backwards. Acid flew right over her head and hit the van. Reyna scrambled to her feet and saw that her friends had scattered.

"Hydra!" Annabeth called. She held her own sword in her right hand. The Hydra jumped in between the three of them. Most of the heads focused on Annabeth, since she was the last one to make any type of noise.

"Does anyone have fire?" Piper questioned. When no one answered, she grimaced. "That's what I though. Does anyone have any ideas on how to beat this?"

"We have to dodge it until we think of something," Reyna replied. A majority of the Hydra's heads turned towards her. Reyna glared angrily and waited for the Hydra to strike. She had left her lighter back at Camp Jupiter, and it was a stupid decision that she was regretting.

Annabeth and Piper nodded their agreement. The three demigods attacked the Hydra as one. The fight consisted of constantly attacking anything but the head and dodging everything else. It quickly became exhausting.

Surprisingly, it was Annabeth who made the first mistake. She was focused on the a majority of the Hydra's heads, and one took its attention from Piper. It knocked Annabeth's sword from her hand and lunged at her. Piper had no choice but to jump in and cut the Hydra's head off.

Reyna gripped her sword as two heads grew back. At this rate, they were not going to win the fight. They needed to run or find a way to get fire. Reyna parried a head and glanced around. Her focus fell on the van.

"Chase!" Reyna called. She glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena picked her sword up from the ground and looked at Reyna. "Keep the Hydra distracted. I have an idea on how to get rid of it."

"We'll protect you," Annabeth promised. Reyna sheathed her sword and didn't hesitate. She turned and ran towards the van. Without hesitation, Reyna jumped towards the van and pulled herself up onto it. The van was still on its passenger side, which made her next move tricky.

Reyna unsheathed her dagger and moved towards the small door that protects the gas cap. She tried to open it, but nothing happened. Reyna used her sword to pry the small door open. It took her a few moments to think of what she needed to do.

A cry of pain caught her attention. Reyna turned to see Piper fall backwards. There was steam coming from her pant leg, and it seemed like some of the Hydra's acid had hit her leg. Annabeth stood in front of Piper.

"Look out!" Annabeth called. Reyna felt the Hydra slammed into the van. The force of the hit knocked Reyna off of the van, but she managed to roll through the fall. She watched the van slide a few inches before rolling onto its roof.

Reyna found herself separated from her friends, and the Hydra was turning on her. Piper and Annabeth were on the other side of the van. It was probably better that way. Reyna gripped her sword handle and took a deep breath.

"Get away from the van!" Reyna yelled. She rolled to the side as the Hydra spat acid at her. Reyna jumped to her feet and saw that the gas tank was facing towards her. After taking a deep breath, she flipped her sword into a spear.

All she could do was hope that Annabeth and Piper were far enough away from the van. Despite the fact that she was fighting the Hydra, Reyna risked closing her eyes. It had been five years since she attempted this. After a moment, she was able to channel all of her thoughts in one thing: fire.

The tip of her spear burst into flames. As soon as that happened, Reyna almost passed out. Using magic of any kind was extremely draining, if the person using it was not properly trained. The Hydra recoiled in what could have been fear, and it took a step backwards.

Reyna threw her spear. It flew by the Hydra's head and hit the van where the gas cap had been. There was a small moment of silence, and then, the van exploded. Reyna tried to throw her cloak over herself, but she wasn't fast enough.

The force of the explosion threw her into a tree. Her head cracked against the tree. Reyna fell to the ground and rolled onto her back. She stared up at the sky and blinked a few times. Her eyes slowly closed, as darkness overcame her.

* * *

"_Do you still believe that the way of the sword is better?" Circe questioned. She stared down at the young attendant in front of her. Reyna slowly forced herself to look up. The daughter of Bellona nodded once, but the nod was met with a hard slap._

"_Your sister has been very cooperative with me. She appreciates that I have given you two a home. I took you two in, when you had no where to go. You do not appreciate it," Circe lectured. She started to pace. "I have given you everything, but you want to throw it all away."_

"_I'm sorry," Reyna finally mumbled. She didn't mean it. Reyna never did. All she wanted was for Circe to stop lecturing her. Circe slapped her once again, but the force of this one caused the daughter of Bellona to stumble backwards._

"_Magic cannot be embraced with your attitude. You rely on a weapon, but eventually, that weapon will become too dull or break. It can fail you. Magic will never let you down. If it does fail, it is because you were too weak to control it," Circe said. "Get out of my sight."_

_Reyna could only stare. This was the first time that Circe had cut a lesson short. In fact, she couldn't remember a time that Circe had cut a lesson short for any of her attendants. Reyna flinched as the witch raised her hand again, and she had no choice but to leave the room. As she walked, all she could hear was the sounds of woman gushing over the spa._

_Magic was difficult for Reyna to grasp. There was so many variables that one had to consider. A weapon was much easier to use. All you had to do was rely on your own skill and training. It helped that she was a daughter of Bellona._

_Reyna stopped outside of the room that she shared with her sister. It was a large room for two attendants to have, and there was space for Hylla's pet. Reyna didn't have any pets, and she didn't want any. Her mind drifted from pets to how Hylla was going to be disappointed in her for angering Circe._

_As she grabbed the door handle, Reyna heard two voices. The first she recognized as Hylla, but the other was someone different. It sounded familiar, but it also sounded like a stranger. Reyna glanced at the door which was open slightly. She knelt by it and peeked inside._

_The first person she saw was her sister. Hylla wasn't speaking, but she was moving her hands in an angry manner. Reyna studied the woman who stood across from her sister. The woman was wearing a full set of armor. She had black hair that was tied in a loose ponytail. Reyna felt a sense of familiarity._

"_You both need to leave this spa," the woman said. "This is not a safe place for you two. The two of you should not have come here in the first place."_

_"This place is perfectly safe," Hylla argued. Her angry, hand motions became even angrier. "It is safer than Puerto Rico, and it is safer than being on the streets! We can't go to that little camp of yours."_

_"Circe is evil," the woman insisted. Reyna couldn't help but like this woman. She knew what she was talking about. Reyna adjusted herself to get a better look of the woman._

_The woman was radiating some kind of power. It was comforting, and Reyna almost felt like she was at home. The power that the woman radiated was different from the power that Circe radiated, but Reyna couldn't pinpoint how, other than it being more comforting._

"_All of a sudden, you care about us?" Hylla demanded. She clenched her fist and started to pace. "What about when Reyna was breaking down crying? What about when we were on the streets? What about when we needed a safe home, but all we had was an abusive father!"_

_The woman remained silent for a few moments. It seemed like she was angry and trying to keep her anger in. In a clipped tone, the woman spoke, "You know that I could not directly help you. I risk getting into trouble now, by talking to you."_

"_I don't care," Hylla snapped. "For family, you always find a way. If we leave where do you even want us to go?"_

"_Camp Jupiter," the woman replied. Hylla laughed like she found something funny. The woman grabbed her arm. "Reyna needs to go to Camp Jupiter. You must be there to protect her."_

"_I already told you the camp isn't safe," Hylla snapped. "If they knew what Reyna did, they would kill her! Circe told me all about them. The Amazons, if it came to it, would be a much better choice."_

"_You cannot go to the Amazons. You must go to Camp Jupiter," the woman insisted. She grabbed Hylla's face. "You must listen to me. I care greatly about you two."_

_"Really, you haven't shown it yet," Hylla said. Her voice was shaky, and it sounded like she was trying not to yell. "The only thing you care about is us doing what you want. You don't care about what is better for us. I can protect Reyna perfectly fine here!"_

"_A storm is coming to this spa," the woman said. From her tone, it didn't seem like an actual storm. "You two cannot be apart of it. You must go to Camp Jupiter."_

_"No," Hylla said defiantly. She took a deep breath. It was like she realized what she had just said."No. We are fine here."_

_"You are going to regret this," the woman warned. Her tone sounded angry, but it also sounded pained. "I just want what is best for you two. You must leave this spa and go to Camp Jupiter."_

"_We are not leaving! You claim to want to help us, but Circe is more of a mother than you!" Hylla snapped. Reyna stared at the two. Hylla turned and met her eyes. Before her older sister could say anything else, Reyna turned and ran away._


	8. The Moment of Peace

When Reyna regained consciousness, the first thing she heard was metal slamming into metal. Her eyes opened quickly. When she tried to sit up, nausea kept her from moving. Reyna involuntarily groaned and placed a hand to her mouth. The sounds of metal hitting metal stopped.

"How are you feeling?" Annabeth questioned. Reyna slowly turned her head. The daughter of Athena was holding her sword. She stood next to Piper, who also held a sword. It seemed like the two had been sparring. Reyna blinked a few times and slowly examined her surroundings.

The sun was shining overhead, but the grass beneath her was still wet. Her head was resting against her duffel bag, and if they weren't on a quest, she would probably find her current position relaxing. Reyna took a deep breath, and she slowly sat up.

It took all of her willpower to not collapse onto her back. Reyna moved herself slightly, so she could lean against a tree. She felt completed drained of energy. Staying conscious was a struggle. Reyna spoke, "I'm fine."

Annabeth studied her for a long time. She finally walked towards a fire that was in the middle of their small clearing. It seemed like some of the sticks were wet, but the fire was still burning well. Piper sat on her jacket near the fire and looked at Reyna.

"I didn't know we would have to deal with another Percy," Annabeth chided. She knelt by Reyna and pressed the back of her hand against Reyna's forehead. A grimace came to her face. She removed her hand and sat down in between them. "You still have your fever."

"I did what I had to do," Reyna argued. She glanced down at herself. It felt odd to not have the familiar weight of her sword at her side. She almost felt off balance without it. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A day," Piper answered. Reyna felt even sicker than she had before. She had made a stupid decision by using magic, and it had cost them time that they could not afford. Reyna looked down at the ground.

"It's not your fault," Annabeth said. She opened Reyna's duffel bag and handed a bottle of soda to Reyna. "We didn't have any other options, and we don't blame you. The Hydra was destroyed, but your weapon was as well.

"Your sword was thrown upwards before it exploded. I'm just glad that no tress were harmed and you, of course," Piper added. Reyna slowly examined the daughter of Aphrodite. Piper's pant leg was torn, but there was no sign of the aftermath of the Hydra's poison.

"You were burning up when we first got to you," Annabeth added. Reyna nodded and slowly opened the bottle of soda. She still felt weak. "I didn't know you could use magic."

"I can barely use magic," Reyna corrected. She took a long sip of the drink and sighed tiredly. After a moment, her eyes turned to look at the liquid inside of the bottle. "I learned some of the basics at Circe's island. If you aren't naturally skilled in it or highly trained, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to cast a single spell."

Reyna didn't mention that she had probably almost killed herself by casting the spell. Since leaving Circe's island, she had not used magic. It reminded her of the witch. Whenever she thought of magic, she thought of the atrocious things that Circe had done. Hylla never noticed, or she just turned a blind eye. To her, all that mattered was that they were safe. Reyna found herself scowling again.

"Do you know when the Pegasi will be here?" Piper questioned. Reyna looked up in interest. It was a smart move to use Pegasi. They could make a long journey in a short amount of time, and Reyna regretted not thinking of using them in the first place.

"They will be here soon," Annabeth promised. She glanced at Reyna and smiled slightly. "While you were sleeping, we sent an Iris message to Percy and Chiron. They sent three Pegasi to pick us up. It was Piper's idea."

"How will the Pegasi know where we are?" Reyna asked. She slowly sat up, without having to use the tree for support. Reyna took another sip of her drink. She debated standing, but the nausea had just disappeared. It wouldn't be wise to chance it.

"Guido will be with them. He can sense where you are," Annabeth explained. After throwing another stick into the fire, she sighed. It seemed like she had gotten lost in thought. Piper played with her sword, and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Reyna, do you think we could spar sometime?" Piper questioned. "I want to become better at fighting, and I think it will help to fight someone who has a different fighting style than the Greeks."

"Of course," Reyna answered. She slowly laid back down and stared up at sky. As silence fell over the camp, the dream came back to her mind. The woman, without a doubt, was her mother. That only caused questions to swarm through her head.

Why was she thinking of the dream now? Why did Bellona not want them to go to the Amazons, and why wouldn't Hylla listen? Did she really think that Circe was a better mother than Bellona? How could Hylla be so blind to all of the things that the witch had done?

Hylla's willingness to turn a blind eye to Circe's crimes was what bothered Reyna the most. Circe did provide them with a place to live, and she gave them training. That did not excuse the fact that the witch only cared about her attendants if they could be used for her agenda. A small part of Reyna told her that she was just trying to justify her hate for Circe.

Reyna finally forced herself to stand. The nausea was mostly gone, but she could feel the exhaustion throughout her body. It took her a moment to stretch. After that, she started to pace. Her exhaustion would have to be ignored.

Annabeth had been staring at the fire the entire time. She finally stood and turned towards Piper. The daughter of Athena spoke, "Are you ready to spar again?"

"I am," Piper answered. She stood and gripped her sword. After a few moments of the two Greeks circling each other, Piper attacked. Reyna finished pacing and leaned on a tree. She watched them in interest.

It only took a few seconds to examine the two fighters. Clearly, Annabeth was going easy on Piper. When Piper opened up her guard, Annabeth gave her time to correct the mistake, instead of just disarming her.

Piper had a lot to learn. She kept letting her guard down, and it was probably because she was use to fighting monsters. If Piper ever fought another demigod, her guard always needed to be up. It was good that she was willing to learn. At Camp Jupiter, most of the children of Venus had to be threatened with punish, before they would actually train. They didn't put much effort into it.

Reyna crossed her arms as she watched. Out of instinct, she examined the two, Greek demigods like they were enemies. Reyna, as she realized what she had been doing, felt guilt. There two were her friends, but her instincts wanted to label them as enemies.

After a minute, Annabeth knocked Piper's sword out of her hand. Piper, without warning, picked up her sword and attacked again. Watching the fight gave Reyna a good grip on her friend's fighting styles. She even felt confident that she could defeat the two in a fight.

Piper was inexperienced, and she also kept her left side unguarded. It was clear that she was use to having a shield in her hands. That was something Piper needed to work on. She wouldn't always have a shield, so she would need to train without one.

Annabeth was skilled. There was no doubting that. If Annabeth was given enough time, she could pick apart any opponent's fighting style, but she was hesitant. She didn't take advantage of some opportunities and didn't take any risks.

It took only five minutes for Reyna to grow restless. There was nothing they could do but wait, and that did not sit well for her. Reyna walked towards the two demigods and spoke, "Mind if I join in?"

"You two can spar," Piper answered tiredly. She stepped away from Annabeth and wiped the sweat from her brow. The daughter of Aphrodite walked towards Reyna's duffel bag and grabbed a drink from it. She took a long sip.

"Do you think that you can handle it, Roman?" Annabeth teased. Reyna turned towards Annabeth and didn't respond. She simply unsheathed her dagger and spun it in her hand. The two slowly circled each other.

"Do you think you can handle a one on one battle?" Reyna countered. "I know that you Greeks like to trick your opponent and team up on them. This is going to be a fair fight, so I know that is unfamiliar to you."

Annabeth attacked without warning. Reyna dodged and punched Annabeth in the face. Reyna quickly spoke, "I'm sorry. That was out of instinct."

"That was a low blow," Annabeth complained, but her tone promised that no harm had been done. Reyna managed a small smile. The two attacked each other.

Annabeth did not hold back. She used every little trick that she knew, but she didn't take chances. Reyna was more than willing to get a little banged up, if it meant throwing Annabeth off her guard.

It was difficult to decide what the hardest part of the duel was. Annabeth's mind was extremely calculating, and she seemed to predict most of the moves that Reyna would make. Her sword also gave her a longer reach.

The end came when Reyna slammed her dagger into Annabeth's sword. She used pure strength to twist Annabeth's sword out of her grasp. Then, Reyna placed her dagger to her friend's throat. The clearing fell silent.

"You two were amazing," Piper said after a few moments. Reyna lowered her dagger and sheathed it. She nodded to Annabeth and slowly walked back towards her duffel bag. Reyna painfully sat down.

"It was a good fight," Reyna commented. She took a sip of her drink and closed her eyes. The duel had awoken her senses, and she was ready for anything. Her body was a different story. She was completely exhausted.

"If Reyna had a sword, she would have beaten me easily," Annabeth commented. She sat down near the fire. Reyna just glanced up and gave her friend a small smile.

They fell silent until they heard the sounds of wings. Piper looked up and smiled. She spoke, "You guys hear that too, right? The Pegasi must be here."

Reyna glanced up at the sky. She saw the Pegasi circling overhead. When her eyes found Guido, a smile crept onto her face. The three Pegasi landed in front of them. Reyna recognized Guido and Blackjack, but she didn't know the name of the third one.

Annabeth put the fire out and smothered it. After making sure the fire wouldn't reignite itself, the daughter of Athena grabbed her backpack. Reyna grabbed her duffel bag and stuffed her jacket inside. She walked towards Guido and pulled herself onto the Pegasus. As Reyna sat there, she vowed that there would be no more stupid mistakes.


	9. The Task

Piper never knew how sore she would be after riding a Pegasus. They had not stopped once, so she had been sitting in a saddle for hours. She didn't think she would be able to walk for awhile. At the moment, they were looking around a parking lot they had landed in.

No one was around, so it seemed like the best place to land. It was also near a general store, so they could buy any supplies that they needed. Piper sighed and watched the Pegasi take off. They were going to get food, water, and a lot of rest.

The entire flight over had been directed at finding the answer to one question: where were they suppose to go? Annabeth and Piper had been bouncing ideas off of each other, and Reyna had mostly listened. It got them nowhere. They had no clue what to do.

"Has anyone been hit with inspiration?" Annabeth questioned. She led the two towards the general store. Annabeth glanced around as if looking for any kind of threats or solutions.

"We can ask for directions," Piper suggested. "There might be someone who knows Sarah. Maybe, they can tell us about anything weird that has happened with her. Does anyone have any ideas on who she could be?"

"A demigod, for sure," Annabeth replied. She bit her lip and seemed to be lost in thought. Piper turned to look at Reyna. The praetor was silent and staring ahead. It seemed like she was extremely focused.

"Can we trust them?" Reyna questioned. "We don't know who this group is. Sarah has been following me, and she knows about Hylla and me. They wanted us. How can we trust them?"

No one knew the answer to that, and it caused silence to fall over the trio. The silence followed them into the general store. When they stepped inside, Reyna stopped in her tracks. A girl turned towards them, as she heard the door open.

"Praetor," the girl said after a moment. Her cruel, brown eyes narrowed into a glare. She studied Reyna and walked forward. The air conditioning caused her dark, brown hair to billow behind her. Reyna's hand moved towards her dagger.

"Vera," Reyna said. The two stared each other down. It didn't take long for Piper to remember Vera. That made her gently grabbed Reyna's arm, so she could let her friend know that they were there for her.

Vera had been one of the rogue Amazons that had attacked Reyna. When Vera turned on the leader of the rogue Amazons and helped Reyna, she was pardoned from her crimes. Piper didn't expect Hylla to be so forgiving, considering she was willing to tear an entire forest apart to find her sister.

"You three must be looking for the shield," Vera commented. Piper exchanged glances with Annabeth. How did everyone seem to know that they were looking for the shield? If Vera knew, had she been sent by Hylla?

"What do you know about it?" Annabeth questioned. She stepped forward, so she was standing next to Reyna. Piper followed the example. She noticed that some people were glancing at them, as they checked out at the register.

"Some annoying goddess appeared to us in our base and accused Queen Hylla of taking the shield. Obviously, Queen Hylla denied it, and she has an alibi. The goddess didn't push the issue. I guess she found you guys to blame," Vera answered.

They heard the sound of a cart rushing towards them. A girl jumped on the cart as it sped forward. As the cart neared Vera, the girl jumped off and stopped it. From what she was wearing, she seemed to be an Amazon. Vera glared angrily.

"Will you three stop playing around and hurry up?" Vera demanded. Piper glanced inside the cart and saw food along with rope, matches, lighters, and other supplies for a night of camping. "We're here to find those idiotic demigods in the forest. We are not here for you three to play with carts like children."

Two more Amazons joined the first. None of them offered a response to Vera. It was hard to tell if the lack of a response was from fear or respect. Piper couldn't imagine that Vera was very high ranking, but she could have also proven herself to Hylla.

Piper slowly looked at her friends. They seemed to have the same thought, and it was silently communicated between the three of them. Sarah's group was the demigods that the Amazons were hunting. That meant they should help the Amazons and tell Vera, right?

"We need to get going," Vera muttered. "There's a lot of forest to cover. And, there are a ton of new recruits that are the most annoying demigods in the world."

"You know that you love us!" An Amazon called. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw Reyna tense. Reyna was watching the Amazon, and it was almost like she recognized her.

"Kelsey, I love the three of you, when your mouths are closed," Vera snapped. She placed both hands to her face and took a deep breath. "I hate these new recruits. I really do."

"Vera, I think we forgot something on the list," Kelsey said. She quickly grabbed Vera's arm and dragged her out of sight. Piper noticed a frown on Reyna's face.

"Do you know Kelsey?" Piper asked, as they walked out of earshot of the Amazons. Reyna seemed to be lost in thought. Annabeth was studying the aisles and looked like she was making a mental grocery list.

"I'm not sure," Reyna replied. "I feel like I should know her, but the memory isn't there. She is definitely familiar though."

"If the Amazons are here, that means Hylla must be here," Annabeth commented. She stopped walking and looked at them. "Hylla could help us, and we can work with the Amazons."

"Wait," Piper said. She frowned and stared at the floor. "We know that Sarah is in a group that will either be our enemies or friends. If the Amazons are looking them, aren't they already enemies? Shouldn't we just go right to the Amazons and help them?"

"The Amazons suspect that Sarah's group is involved. I don't think they have any proof of it," Annabeth countered. Piper nodded and thought about it more. Reyna watched them for a few moments.

"If Hylla is here, I'm sure she will help us," Reyna said. She looked around and led them into another aisle. Kelsey was showing off a box of cereal to a very unamused Vera. Reyna made her way towards the Amazons. "Vera, I need to speak to my sister. Where is she?"

"Queen Hylla isn't here," Vera answered. She looked at them. "She stayed back at one of our new bases. It's a pretty cool house, but anyway, she couldn't come with us. Queen Hylla has some real important meeting."

"Do you know who Hylla is meeting with?" Piper questioned. Vera shrugged. As Kelsey tried to place the cereal into her hands, Vera grabbed the box and flung it across the aisle. The Amazon gave a quarter of a wave and walked away. Kelsey quickly followed.

"Well, you two didn't kill each other," Annabeth commented. She looked at Reyna and smiled slightly. "That's progress."

"I still owe Vera the chance to beat the crap out of me," Reyna said, with a shrug. Piper smiled as the watched the two. They were talking about Reyna's near death experience like it was a walk in the park.

"We should get something to eat," Annabeth suggested. Piper's stomach rumbled her agreement. "After that, we can go shopping for the supplies we'll need. It's no good shopping on an empty stomach."

"What about Sarah and her group?" Reyna questioned. They started to follow Annabeth down the aisle. As they passed the register, Piper saw the Amazons were still checking out. Vera didn't look interested in talking to them anymore, so Piper kept her mouth shut.

"We're at our destination. They will just have to find us," Annabeth answered. She made it outside and looked at their surroundings. It was like she was trying to soak everything in and enjoy the sights. Reyna was glancing around, probably for threats. Piper just tried to relax and enjoy the tiny bit of sun that was peeking out from behind the clouds.

There was a restaurant only a block from the general store, and without saying a word, the three demigods walked towards it. Reyna held the door open for them. Her eyes scanned behind them. It was almost like she was daring a monster to attack them and pay the price.

"Reyna, are you going to get the Caesar salad?" Piper asked, as she stepped inside. Reyna gave her a confused look, and a hostess walked up to them. "Table for three, ma'am."

"Follow me," the hostess said with a kind smile. She led the three of them towards a booth that was mostly away from everyone else. As they walked, Piper glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena gave her a knowing smile.

Reyna sat facing the front door. One hand casually rested near her dagger. For most of the day, she seemed to be in a bad mood. Piper sat by Reyna and spoke, "Have you made up your mind about getting the Caesar salad?"

"Any salad is a Caesar salad, if you stab it enough times," Annabeth commented. She sat across from them. Reyna gave the two of them a sharp glare, but it only caused the two Greeks to laugh.

"_Et tu _are getting a salad?" Piper asked Annabeth. She saw Reyna rub her face annoyed. There might have been a smile threatening to break out on her face. That was all Piper wanted.

"First, Latin does not work like that," Reyna said. It seemed like she was ready to give them a lecture. Piper heard a bell ring, as the front door opened. Reyna's eyes narrowed into a glare.

Piper quickly looked up from the menu. She focused on the front door and saw two people looking around. From the bow on their back and their posture, one of them was Sarah. The other person was a little more terrifying.

The man seemed to be about twenty years old. His black hair was shaped into a mohawk that looked like it could stab someone's eye out, and the red tips made it seem like it already had. Even from across the restaurant, Piper could see that his eyes were a bright green.

Sarah led the man towards the three demigods. Since a hood covered her face, Piper was forced to imagine the smirk on Sarah's face. Piper slowly looked back at the man. He examined them as if he was trying to find the best way to destroy them.

"Long time no see," Sarah commented, as she made it to the table. She sat on Annabeth's right. The man sat on Annabeth's left. They had her trapped between them. "Now, we need to lay down some ground rules. If any of you pull a weapon, we will kill the three of you. Let's try and have a friendly day, shall we? This is Thorn."

Thorn only nodded to them. He was studying them closely. Piper wanted to ask if he kicked puppies for fun in his spar time. She was almost a little scared to ask. Reyna sat forward.

"Are you done with being unable to answer our questions?" Reyna demanded. Sarah seemed to contemplate her answer. After a minute, she shrugged. "Is the confidence thanks to your backup?"

"Praetor, I want to have a nice day," Sarah commented. "You don't have to be so cranky. The weather is beautiful, and it's likely that we won't kill you. In fact, we'll answer any questions you have, after you find something for us."

"What exactly do we need to find?" Annabeth asked. She looked at the two people that were trapping her in the booth. She grabbed some of the bread that had been in the middle of the table. Annabeth used a knife to place butter on it, and she placed the knife near her.

"You are not going to find anything," Thorn said. His voice was smooth, despite how rough his features looked. He motioned towards Reyna and Piper. "Those two are going to find it. You, daughter of Athena, will be our prisoner."

"It's like going to school and having to take a test," Sarah commented. "It sucks, and you might die. You don't have a choice in it though. When you two find the box, you can meet us at our base."

Sarah passed them a piece of paper. After a moment, Piper took it. She assumed the paper had directions to their base. Piper pocketed it and watched the two mysterious people in front of her.

"We're finding a box?" Piper questioned. She received a nod from Thorn. "What is so important about this particular box?"

"It holds something very important and very powerful in it," Sarah replied. "We were transporting it to a safer location, but our convey was ambushed. Whoever ambushed our convoy almost killed them. We haven't been able to get a description on the attackers, so we have no clue what you could be up against."

"Where is the box?" Reyna asked. She crossed her arms and glanced at Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite took a moment to give her friend a reassuring nod. It was hard to read Reyna's expression.

"We tracked it to a warehouse on the edge of town. It's called Biscuit Hounds. You can ask anyone in the town, and they'll know where it is. When you do get this box, you will come to our base. The address is on that paper the daughter of Aphrodite has. Once you disarm, you'll be allowed inside."

"If you two hurt Annabeth, you'll regret it," Reyna warned. Her voice sounded more dangerous than Piper had every heard. She glanced at her friend. There was no emotion on Reyna's face.

"If you two do as we say, she'll be fine," Sarah promised. "You should get going, before the box gets moved. That would be a failure of the mission, and praetor, you can't fail your mission."

Reyna glared and stood. Piper slowly followed her example. A look at Annabeth caused the daughter of Athena to give her a reassuring nod. Piper took a deep breath, and she followed Reyna out of the restaurant.


	10. The Group

Like every other sane person in the world, Annabeth didn't like to be used as a bargaining tool. Last time, she had been tricked into taking the weight of the sky and holding it up. Being held captive by Sarah and Thorn wasn't so bad, in retrospect.

After Reyna and Piper had left, Annabeth found the two people next to her did not move. They waited a few minutes and finally had a conversation in another language. Thorn had grabbed Annabeth by her shoulder and dragged her out of the restaurant, like she was a small child.

They had led her towards two horses. Before Annabeth was allowed to mount, Sarah checked her over for weapons. Somehow, she missed the dagger that was strapped to Annabeth's shoulder, underneath her jacket. Sarah gave an all clear, and Annabeth was allowed to mount the horse.

Now, it seemed like they were on the way to the base. Annabeth looked down at the horse she was riding. Thorn sat behind her and held a knife to the small of her back. He seemed pretty content with holding her hostage. Annabeth forced herself to focus on the interesting color of the horse.

The horse was a chestnut color, but the mane was a bright orange. It was almost like the sun. Annabeth ran a finger through the mane. She could feel someone's eyes staring a hole into her. Annabeth slowly looked to her right.

The shadow of Sarah's hood made it impossible to read her facial expression, but she seemed extremely interested in Annabeth. The daughter of Athena considered trying to make a run for it. She could handle Thorn, even with the knife to her back. However, Sarah seemed to be able to use her bow, and if she was a child of Apollo, Annabeth wouldn't stand a chance.

"What is his name?" Annabeth asked. She ran a hand through the horses' mane again. It snorted in what could have been annoyance. Annabeth felt the annoyance was more from her not knowing the horse's name than brushing the mane.

"Eous," Thorn answered, after a few moments. His breath was hot on her neck. Annabeth resisted the urge to shiver. She focused her mind on trying to figure out why the name was so familiar. Thorn seemed to notice her struggle. "Eous was one of the many horses that drove around Helios' chariot. When Apollo took over, the four horses were replaced."

Annabeth nodded slightly. She remembered seeing the name from when she had been studying the Titans before the battle of Manhattan. Annabeth was hoping to find strategies to use against Kronos. If she was really lucky, she would find one of his weaknesses. There was a small chance that she had gotten distracted.

Hearing Thorn's explanation brought one question to her mind. Why did this group have horses that belonged to Helios? Why weren't the horses with Apollo? Even if Apollo didn't use them, he would probably want to have them as trophies. Annabeth spoke, "How did you get Eous, if he belonged to Helios?"

"The four leaders of our group have one," Thorn said. He completely ignored Annabeth's question. "Sarah's horse is named Sterope. I wouldn't get to close to Sterope. She has quite a temper."

"We get them the day we are elected to lead," Sarah added. She pulled her horse next to them, and Sterope seemed to glare at Annabeth. Something told her that the horse did not like her. "Every two years, we hold an election to decide who leads."

Annabeth nodded. She didn't know why they were giving her so much information about them, but if it could help her, she would ask all the questions that she could. Any knowledge about the group could prove to be extremely useful. Annabeth spoke, "How does your leadership and elections work?"

"We have about one hundred people in our group," Sarah answered. "We put them in groups of four or five and have them in key locations all over the United States. The leader of that group can be considered to lead all of us. Every two years, the election comes up for our four, key positions: scout, doctor, general, and strategist."

"Should we be telling her so much?" Thorn interrupted. He watched Annabeth for a long moment. "Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter can use this information against us. I don't think they should know anything about us, especially if one of them is a daughter of Athena."

"Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was telling you about the elections," Sarah said. She completely ignored Thorn. "Everyone will cast a vote, and an unbiased person will read the votes aloud. The majority wins"

"Why four leaders?" Annabeth questioned. She assumed that the two with her were leaders. All she needed to do was find the other two. "I always thought that three would be a better number."

"Every vote we have needs the majority vote to pass," Thorn answered quietly. He cleared his throat. "It is harder to convince three people to act than it is to convince two people to act. Most of the decisions we make are put to a debate and vote."

"Who are you?" Annabeth asked. The question silenced her two captors. Annabeth watched them curiously. She was sure that they weren't children of Olympians. They were probably children of the minor gods. "Who are your godly parents?"

Sarah suddenly brought her horse to a stop. She turned to face them. Thorn brought his horse to a stop, and Annabeth slowly looked in between her two captors. Thorn's face was emotionless, but he didn't look ready to talk. Sarah took a deep breath and sighed.

"My father is Lelantos," Sarah finally replied. "He is the Titan of air. As you can tell from my father, we're not exactly demigods."

"You're demititans," Annabeth realized. It wasn't the most surprising of prospects. She knew that children of Titans had fought with Kronos during the battle of Manhattan. Some had escaped, and some had gone to Camp Half-Blood, with a desire to make up for what they had done. Annabeth expected most demititans to be evil, and she was worried this group would prove to be just that.

"My father is Perses," Thorn added angrily. Annabeth felt the glare that he was giving Sarah. "He is the Titan of destruction, but you probably know him as the father of Hecate. That is the last question we will answer, until we get to our base."

Annabeth nodded once. She remained silent as the horse started up again. They left behind the busy shops and made it towards houses. After a few more minutes, they passed into an abandoned part of town. Annabeth looked around at all of the abandoned apartments. The horses came to a sudden stop.

"Off," Thorn ordered. It took Annabeth a moment to slowly dismount the horse. Thorn followed a moment later. The two horses took off down the street. Annabeth knew there was no way she could run. If she tried to, Sarah would put an arrow in her leg.

Sarah walked towards one of the apartments. She glanced around and placed a hand to the door. A whisper of a word escaped from her mouth. Annabeth couldn't translate it, so she knew it wasn't ancient Greek. It was something old though. The door swung open.

Thorn grabbed Annabeth's arm and led her inside. They stepped into the middle of an empty living room. Thorn led her into a hallway and towards a closet. He placed a hand to the door and spoke. It opened to reveal a ladder leading downwards.

The two demititans looked at Annabeth expectantly. It took the daughter of Athena a moment to climb down the ladder. When she reached the bottom of the ladder, she felt someone's eyes burning into her back. Annabeth turned around.

Two people stood in front of her. One was a meek looking boy. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. His eyes were blue, and he had blonde hair. It was easy to identify him as a child of Apollo, so why was he with the demititans?

Annabeth looked at the girl and found herself instantly tensing up. The girl seemed to be around the age of eighteen. Her eyes were gray and calculating. Unlike the others, the girl was wearing armor. She ran a hand through her short, black hair.

"Daughter of Athena, this is Oliver. He is our doctor," Sarah said. She motioned to the boy. Oliver seemed to blush, and he cleared his throat multiples times. He stepped forward and held out a hand.

"It's nice to meet you," Oliver. It seemed like the effort of speaking just about killed him. He gave the girl a look that asked if he could leave. Annabeth assumed that Oliver had some kind of social anxiety.

"It's nice to meet you too," Annabeth said. She smiled at Oliver and shook his hand. "My name is Annabeth Chase. This is a nice base that you have here."

"Alex, the other two demigods are going after our box," Sarah reported. She looked at the other girl. Annabeth turned towards Alex. Their gray eyes met. After a moment, Annabeth held a hand out to her.

"It's nice to meet you," Annabeth said. Instead of shaking Annabeth's hand, Alex crossed her arms silently. "Even though you're a demititan, I hope we can work together."

"Sarah, how much did you tell her?" Alex demanded. She looked at the Sarah, and the daughter of Lelantos took a step back. It seemed like she was scared of Alex. "Thorn, how much did you two tell her."

"She deduced that we were children of Titans from our horses," Thorn lied. "Annabeth is extremely smart, and I think she could make a useful ally. We should just tell her everything that we know."

"No, we are not telling her a thing. If you want to put that to a vote, I know Sarah is on my side," Alex said. She crossed her arms and looked at Sarah. "Right?"

"Right," Sarah repeated. Her voice was barely there. Annabeth watched them in interest. From the time they had spent together, Annabeth knew that Sarah wanted to tell her as much as she could, but the presence of Alex seemed to kill that idea.

Thorn shook his head and walked away. He shoved past Alex and stalked down the hallway. Alex looked back at Annabeth. The two just studied each other. The demititan looked like she was thinking of twenty different ways to taken Annabeth out. Annabeth had already thought of forty different ways to take the four leaders out.

"I should get back to the infirmary," Oliver said. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Oliver looked uncomfortable with any sort of social interaction. Annabeth knew that he had only greeted her to avoid being chewed out by the others.

When no one answered, Oliver took a step back. He turned around and walked down the hall as fast as he could. Annabeth looked back at the two demititans in front of her. She spoke, "What is so special about this box? What is in it?"

"We'll know when the right person touches it," Alex replied. She uncrossed her arms. Annabeth nodded and was careful to keep her face emotionless. From how Alex responded, Annabeth suspected that the demititans didn't know what was the in box.

"Sarah, you should go have your shoulder checked out. We need to make sure that it is completely healed," Alex said. It was clear that Alex wanted to speak to Annabeth alone. After a moment, Sarah looked down and walked away.

"Are there really four leaders, or are you just pulling the strings?" Annabeth questioned. Alex didn't respond. She just studied Annabeth for a long time. There was something intelligent and calculating in Alex's eyes. It almost seemed like she was a child of Athena. "Who is your godly parent?"

"Come," Alex ordered. She completely ignored Annabeth's question and started to walk down a long hallway. After a moment, Annabeth followed and examined the hallway. The walls were made of stone, and every ten feet, there was a door with name of a person on it. Alex stopped at a door pushed it open.

The first Annabeth noticed was the sheer amount of books in the room. It was someone had just dumped an entire library into the room. Each pile of books reached up to their shoulders, and there was a small walkway they could navigate. Multiple notebooks were sprawled across the bed. There was a chessboard resting on a taller pile of books.

"Sit," Alex ordered. She grabbed books off of a chair and motioned for Annabeth to sit down. The back of the chair was against the wall, and even though Annabeth didn't like it, she forced herself to sit down. Alex sat across next to her and motioned to the chessboard. "Shall I start?"

"Go ahead," Annabeth answered. She didn't really care for games of chess. Upon looking down, she saw the chess pieces on her side were Olympians. The chess pieces on Alex's side were Titans. Annabeth studied the pieces, as Alex made a move. "Why do you want to work with us?"

"I don't," Alex answered. Annabeth moved her pawn and looked up at Alex. The demititan was watching her closely. Annabeth felt like she had seen those eyes before. "My father told me to work with you. He said it could mean the preservation of this world."

"Why all of this secrecy?" Annabeth questioned. She moved another piece and tried to focus on the game, but all of her focus was on Alex. Many questions ran through her head, and all she could do was wait.

"Can you imagine what the demigods at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter would do if they knew about us?" Alex questioned. "We are not far removed from the war against Kronos. Since that war, mistrust of anything Titan related has grown greatly. No, we did not have a role in that war."

"What about Ares' shield?" Annabeth asked. She mindlessly moved a piece to take Alex's pawn. Alex had been giving her pawns up easily, so Annabeth assumed that the demititan was focused on the conversation. "You seem to know about it. What do you have to do with the shield?"

"Are you asking if we stole it?" Alex wondered. She smirked. "I can promise you that the shield is nowhere near worth our time. I may have a lead on it though."

"What is your lead?" Annabeth asked. She stopped playing and met Alex's eyes. Alex simply moved another piece and seemed to think about her answer.

"I will reveal my lead, when you have earned my trust," Alex responded. She sighed. "You must be wondering why the Amazons are hunting us. The simple answer is that their queen is an idiot. She thinks we are involved, and she acts without any proof. Now, her Amazons are running around and trying to find us."

"You have a lot of information," Annabeth commented. She moved another piece and tried to focus on Alex's words. They must have seen the Amazons, but how did they know that Hylla didn't have any proof? Was Alex bluffing when she said that?

"That is what happens when you have troops in a variety of states. The Amazons, Hunters of Artemis, and your two camps are well scouted," Alex answered. Annabeth found herself glaring. She did not like that the demititans knew so much about the camps, while the camps knew nothing of the demititans.

"We did not have direction for a long time," Alex continued. "Our leaders feared doing anything that would anger the Olympians. We stayed cooped up in this base, only leaving to get supplies or run the occasional errand. When I was voted into leadership, I changed that. This group has gone from sitting in this base to a deadly army."

"Is that a threat?" Annabeth questioned. She glared and moved her knight forward. A small smile came to Alex's face. Annabeth looked down and found herself in check. A quick look around showed that her king was trapped with nowhere to go.

"I believe that is checkmate," Alex said. She leaned back in her seat. "As for you question, it could be a threat, depending on how all of this plays out."

"You sacrificed a lot of pawns to win," Annabeth commented. She wanted to get away from the tenseness of her conversation. Alex nodded. "It's a risky strategy."

"It is," Alex agreed. She stood. "But, those are the strategies that win wars. You must be willing to take a risk, in order to have victory. I have a room arranged for you and your friends. When you exit this room, you will turn to your right and walk all the way down the hall. The room is on your left."

Alex led Annabeth towards the door. Before leaving, Annabeth looked at her and spoke, "What is so important about this box? Something tells me you didn't just make it up to see if you can trust us. What is in it?"

"I don't know," Alex admitted. "It was given to us by an immortal. She demanded that we protect it until the right person comes along. Oliver learned that someone was planning on taking the box from its protected location, so we wanted to move it. We were ambushed, as it was being moved."

"What did you mean by we will know what is inside when the right person touches it?" Annabeth questioned. Alex studied her for a moment and sighed. She seemed to relax slightly.

"We were told that the box would only open for the right person," Alex explained. "Of course, we tried many things to open the box, but it won't budge. We just have to wait and see. I hope that we find the right person soon."

"I wonder who that person is," Annabeth muttered to herself more than Alex. Could it be a demititan? If so, why hadn't they already opened it. Was it a demigod?

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alex said. "However, we do have a mutual goal. You want to find the shield to prevent a war. We need to find the shield to keep the Amazons from attacking us."

"I know Queen Hylla," Annabeth said. She decided that it was best to not mention that Reyna was Hylla's sister. The demititans could use the knowledge against them. "I would talk to her, but she isn't here. I might not be able to get in contact with her."

"Who told you that the queen of the Amazons isn't here?" Alex questioned. She crossed her arms and looked confused. "Sarah reported that the queen of the Amazons is indeed her. In fact, she seemed to be organizing the Amazons for war."

Annabeth's mind started racing. Vera had been against Hylla before, and she was a child of Mars. Was it possible she was working against Hylla again, or was Annabeth just being paranoid? Plans could have changed, and there was a chance Vera might not have known about it.

"I'm not sure," Annabeth answered. "Either way, I should send an Iris message to her and try to convince her to meet with you. We can have it in a neutral location. I'm guessing we have an alliance."

"Yes," Alex said. "It is a thin one that can be snapped at any moment. I know that you understand that. Demititans and demigods are not meant to work together."

"We'll be the first," Annabeth said. She held out her hand towards Alex. After a moment, Alex shook it. "We'll talk more about this, when my friends bring the box back."


	11. The Box

Piper pushed her wet hair out of her face. Rain was pouring relentlessly from the sky. Her jacket was completely soaked, which meant she was freezing. Piper did her best to adjust her backpack and look around. They could only see about ten feet in front of them.

Her mind drifted towards the group. She hoped that they were treating Annabeth well. Annabeth could more than handle herself, but the last thing they needed was more enemies. Piper just wanted to find the box, so they could be reunited with the daughter of Athena and make a plan.

"Why would they want Annabeth as a hostage?" Piper asked. In her mind, she would be the best hostage. Piper didn't have as much combat experience as Reyna or Annabeth, and she wasn't as tactically smart as the two of them. There was no way she could make a plan to break out of the group's base and then execute it. "If there was three of us, we would have a much easier time getting to the box."

If the group had one reason to not take Piper hostage, it was her charmspeak. How did they know about it though? It wasn't something that a group unaffiliated with Camp Half-Blood should know. That worried Piper. If they knew about her charmspeak, what else did they know?

"They want to divide and conquer us," Reyna answered. The daughter of Bellona was walking right next to Piper. It seemed like Reyna was trying to see through the rain, but she was having no luck. "If we failed to find the box or showed that we couldn't be trusted, they could easily take Annabeth out. We also wouldn't try to take the box for ourselves. It is a good strategy."

"We're on the wrong side of it," Piper commented. Her companion gave a slight nod. Piper looked around the street that they were on. No cars passed them on the road. They seemed to be in a quiet part of town, and it did nothing to settle Piper's disturbed feeling.

"If the box is so important and they know where it is, why would they send us?" Piper asked. "It seems safer for them to retrieve it, unless they know something we don't. Would they really send us into a dangerous place?"

"I don't know," Reyna replied. She shivered slightly. "It could have just been a trap to separate us from Annabeth. They may even be using us as bait, or they are scared of whoever took the box. Either way, I don't like it."

Piper nodded her agreement. After another minute of walking, she bit her lip. One question had been bothering her for awhile, but she didn't know how to ask it. She also didn't know how Reyna would react. Reyna was not someone who liked to shared personal information.

It took her a few more moments to work up the courage. She glanced at Reyna and opened her mouth. No words came out, so she rubbed her face. After rubbing her face, Piper looked up and spoke, "Why don't you like charmspeak?"

Once she started the sentence, it was easy to get the words out. Reyna stopped walking and looked at her. Piper, for a moment, regretted her question. Then, Reyna looked around and continued to walk. The daughter of Bellona didn't seem upset.

"Circe is the reason," Reyna answered. She looked at Piper. There seemed to be much more to the story than Reyna was willing to share, and that was okay with Piper. "She did terrible things with it."

Piper nodded. She knew it was best to not push the issue. After glancing around, Piper came to a sudden stop. The warehouse was to their right. The words on the wall were mostly faded, but a large picture of a dog holding a biscuit gave them the only clue they needed.

The two took a moment to examine the front of the warehouse. There seemed to be lights on inside, and one light was shining down on the entrance. By the entrance, there was two, black vans.

"Follow," Reyna ordered. She ran towards an alley that was directly in front of them. Piper followed and winced at how loud their feet were hitting puddles. She hoped no one could hear it. The two made it towards an old ladder that was attached to a wall.

Reyna climbed the ladder with ease. The praetor seemed to hold no fear that the old ladder would break on them or that she would slip. Reyna pulled herself onto the top of the building and turned towards Piper. She turned and held a hand out. Piper grabbed her friend's hand and was pulled to the top with ease.

The two walked towards the edge of the building and crouched. They had a great view of the warehouse, but for a moment, all Piper could think of was the long fall to the ground. She forced herself to look back at the warehouse, which was in a state of despair. A large dog was painted on the side of it, but the painting was old and chipped. Two women stood outside the door.

"They're both masked," Reyna noted. She gripped her dagger and wiped rain out of her eyes. "They're also wearing black. It's clear they don't want to be identified, and since this part of the town is abandoned, no one will see them."

"Do we have a plan?" Piper asked. She caught the glint of a sword. Each women had one hanging from their side. Piper frowned and glanced at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona seemed deep in thought.

Reyna remained silent for a few moments. Her fingers tapped against the rooftop. After a few minutes, Reyna spoke, "There doesn't seem to be any other guards. We should knock those two out and move further inside. To do what, we're going to sneak around the sides of the building. You'll take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the right."

Piper nodded. Something told her that this wasn't the first time that Reyna had done something like this. The two quickly climbed down the ladder and moved to the edge of the alley. Reyna looked at Piper and spoke, "I'm going to run around to the side. After you count to a minute, you are going to take out the guard."

The only thing Piper could do was nod. This was not a situation that she had trained for. Piper followed Reyna to the nearest wall of the warehouse. If they peeked out, they could see the two women. Reyna gave Piper a small nod and ran along the wall going the opposite way. She turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.

After counting to a minute, Piper turned the corner of the warehouse. She saw Reyna grab one of the women and wrap an arm around their neck. The other women turned towards Reyna, but Piper tackled them from behind.

Piper wrapped her arm around the guard's throat and squeezed. The women started to move, and that caused Piper to tighten her grip. After a few moments, the women went limp. Reyna spoke, "Give it a few more seconds. She could be faking unconsciousness."

Piper nodded and did as she was told. After a few moments, Reyna gave her a small nod. Piper let go of the woman and stood. A shaky breath left her. It took her a few moments to look at Reyna.

"We need to hide them," Reyna whispered. She glanced around and picked up one of the unconscious women, and she did it with an ease that made Piper slightly jealous. Piper picked up the other woman and followed Reyna towards the alley. They laid the two women on top of a closed trash bin.

"Back to the warehouse," Piper guessed. Reyna gave her a slight nod and looked around. The two walked towards the front entrance of the warehouse. Reyna grabbed the door and pushed it forward slightly. When no noise was made, she pushed it open the rest of the way.

The first thing they saw was a large amount of shelves. Shelves were scattered everywhere and had rotten boxes taking up every row. They wouldn't be able to see anyone, and nobody would be able to see them. The appearance of the cardboard boxes brought another thought to Piper's mind. What did the box that they were trying to find look like?

"We still don't know where they are," a voice said. Piper glanced at Reyna, who had already dropped into a crouch. Piper followed her example. The two started creeping towards the voice. They stopped in front of a shelf, but neither dared to push a box aside and see the person talking.

"Try looking harder," a second voice muttered. The annoyance in their voice was clear. A loud crash echoed throughout the warehouse. "Idiot! Do you know how valuable that box is?"

Piper glanced at Reyna. Her friend made a small motion to their left, and they started to creep towards it. Piper hoped that the two women had the box that they needed. As the two demigods reached the edge of the shelf, Piper peeked out.

One woman was picking up a box. She had a mask that covered her face, and her friend had one as well. The box that the woman was picking up was only two feet long and two feet wide. It was as black as the night. Piper glanced at Reyna.

"Attack?" Piper mouthed. She figured that they could easily take out the two woman. Reyna seemed to share the sentiment and nodded. The two stepped out of their hiding place. The woman holding the box turned towards them.

"You're trespassing," the woman warned. She received a slap to the back of her head. Her friend unsheathed a sword and glared at the two of them. Piper grabbed her sword, while Reyna grabbed her dagger.

"They are with the idiots in the forest," the woman that had unsheathed the sword snapped.. She glared at Reyna and attacked. The woman with the box attacked Piper. It wasn't hard for Piper to dodge, considering the woman was preoccupied with the box, which was tucked under one of her arms.

Piper caught an attack on her sword. She stepped back and attacked as well. The woman parried her and swung. Piper dodged. For the moment, the two seemed to be an even match. A glance towards Reyna showed that the praetor had disarmed her opponent and knocked her out with her own weapon. Reyna turned to help.

Before Piper could blink, she was tackled to the ground by Reyna. A knife flew over their heads and slammed into one of the rotten boxes. Reyna quickly stood and pulled Piper to her feet. They stood back to back.

"I'll get the box," Reyna whispered. She still had the other woman's sword in her hand. "Can you deal with our friend in the shadows?"

Piper nodded her agreement. She laced her voice with charmspeak and spoke, "Come out from the shadows. We can talk this over. We do not have to fight."

All Piper heard was the sound of Reyna fighting the woman. That caused a frown to come to Piper's face. If someone was hiding in the shadows, there was no way that they would be able to resist charmspeak, unless they could also use charmspeak. There wasn't many people who could do that though.

Reyna knocked out the woman that she was fighting. The box fell to the ground and skidded for a moment. Reyna walked towards it and went to grab it. A knife flew by her hand, grazing her skin. Piper heard a footstep behind her and quickly turned around. Another person stepped out of the shadows.

It seemed to be another woman. Somehow, this one was different than the others, but she was also wearing a mask. Reyna seemed to share Piper's thought. She spoke, "Who are you?"

Piper glanced at Reyna. The praetor was crouched by the box, and her hand was hovering near the knife. Reyna suddenly grabbed the knife and threw it at the woman. She stood and kicked the box towards Piper.

The only thing that Piper could do was scoop the box up. Since she was closer, she could see the gold, ancient writing that was carved into the border of the box. There was no way to make sense of what it said, but she could feel the power running through the box. It just felt evil.

Blades clashed, and Piper turned back towards the battle. She saw the woman twist the blade out of Reyna's hand. There was a look of surprise on Reyna's face, and she was kicked into a shelf.

The woman turned towards Piper. She walked forward and stepped over her unconscious friends like they didn't matter. Piper's only option was to grip the box and step backwards. Her other hand gripped her sword, and she attacked.

The woman caught the sword in her hand. Then, she tossed it behind her. Piper stared, and out of instinct, she threw the box away. As she did, the woman kicked her in the stomach. The force of the kick slammed Piper into the ground and caused her to slide backwards.

Reyna lunged for the box, but the woman simply kicked it away. The praetor knocked the woman's legs out from under her. Reyna then turned and ran for the box. Piper quickly got to her feet.

Piper expected the woman to attack Reyna's exposed back, so she slammed into the woman. Somehow, Piper found herself on the ground with her back aching. She was pulled to her feet, and her arm was twisted behind her. A dagger rested against her neck.

Reyna turned and glared at them. She seemed to consider her options, but when the woman motioned for the box, Reyna hesitated. After a long moment, the praetor kicked the box towards the woman. The dagger moved from Piper's neck.

Before Piper could take a deep breath, she heard the sound of something breaking. There was terrible pain in her arm a moment later. Piper stared as she realized her arm had been snapped like a twig. A strangled cry of pain escaped, and it took all of her willpower to keep from crying.

"Let her go!" Reyna snapped. She threw her knife, with all of her might. It slammed into the woman's shoulder, and it caused the woman to gasp in pain. Piper used the moment to pull from her captor's grasp and lung towards Reyna.

Reyna gently grabbed Piper's shoulder to steady her, and the praetor handed Piper a whistle. Through her pain, Piper realized that it was the whistle that Percy had given to Reyna on the day of her seventeenth birthday. The whistle would summon Guido.

"Go," Reyna ordered. She stood in between Piper and the woman. At the moment, the woman seemed content to just watch them. There was no way Piper would leave Reyna. They had to work together. "Piper, take my duffel bag and go. Trust me."

Everything in Piper wanted her to stay with Reyna, but she knew that she wouldn't be much help. A broken arm would only hinder them, and if Piper stayed, she would only distract Reyna. After a moment, the daughter of Aphrodite grabbed the duffel bag. She took a deep step backwards.

Piper almost walked forward again and stayed. She finally closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Reyna was a daughter of Bellona, and she could handle herself. Piper needed to get back to the group, and she could get reinforcements while she was there. Piper turned and hurried away.


	12. The First Betrayal

Against her will, Reyna looked back, to watch Piper run away. Their only objective was getting the box back to safety. Reyna finally forced herself to focus back on the present. The woman in front of her twisted the dagger out of her shoulder and threw it behind her. She seemed completely unaffected by wound.

"Who are you working for?" Reyna questioned. She knew that she wouldn't get an answer, but she was hoping to buy some time. Half of winning a battle was knowing the opponent. Reyna knew nothing about the woman, other than the fact that she wasn't stopped by a shoulder wound or Piper's charmspeak.

The woman grabbed the two swords from the ground. She held one sword in her right hand, and her grip was strong. There was no doubt the woman had trained extensively with weapons. The sword in her left hand was held loosely, and the woman tossed it towards Reyna.

Reyna caught the sword in surprise. While she appreciated a fair fight, it was odd that the woman was so willing to commit to one. Was the woman that confident, or was she that good? Reyna slowly stepped to the side. The woman did as well. The two circled each other, looking for an opening and trying to get a feel for each other.

Reyna knew the fight wouldn't be easy. She had already been disarmed once, and that was partially her fault. After taking the other women down so easily, Reyna had grown complacent. That wouldn't happen again. She took another step to the side.

The woman closed the gap in between them in half of a second. She swung wildly, and Reyna caught the attack on her sword. For a moment, their swords were crossed, and it became a test of pure strength. Reyna planted her feet and missed having a shield in her left hand. It would have allowed her to completely avoid the test of strength.

For a few moments, the two were equally matched. Reyna considered her next move but was suddenly pushed away. The woman did it almost effortlessly. Before Reyna could catch her balance, a foot slammed into her chest.

Reyna hit the ground hard and gasped for breath. The kick had knocked the breath out of her. Considering that Reyna was wearing armor, there was no way that anyone's kick would be strong enough to do that. Instincts kicked in, and the praetor rolled to the side. A sword slammed into the ground next to her.

Reyna jumped to her feet and swung her sword. The woman simply caught it on her own sword and followed it up with her own attack. Reyna blocked it and tried to twist the sword out of the woman's hand. Her opponent quickly danced away.

For the next few minutes, it was a battle of attacks and counterattacks. Reyna and the woman were evenly matched. Despite the fact that they had met only a few minutes ago, the two fought like they had known each other for years.

Out of frustration, Reyna stepped back and wiped sweat from her eyes. It was freezing outside. In the warehouse, it was hot and stuffy, and it had been a long time since she had been in such an intensive battle. The woman didn't even look tired, which angered Reyna. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

The woman stabbed forward. Reyna blocked it and stepped to side of her opponent. She swung her sword. The woman swung her own sword with a lot more strength than Reyna expected. Their swords met and shattered.

A knife flew by Reyna's face. She dodged and threw her own dagger. The woman ducked right under the dagger and tackled Reyna into a shelf. Their combined weight caused the shelf to fall over.

Reyna punched the woman in the face. At the moment, she was pinned to the shelf, and that wasn't a position she could be in. Reyna grabbed at the woman's mask. An elbow slammed into her face.

Reyna slammed a fist into the woman's throat. She threw the woman backwards and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes darted around for a weapon. When there wasn't one to be found, Reyna realized it was time to do things the hard way.

The woman was already back on her feet. She motioned for Reyna to attack. Reyna rubbed her sore jaw and studied her opponent. All she needed was a few moments to take a deep breath and think. She finally threw a punch at the woman.

The woman dodged and returned with a lightning quick strike. Reyna tried to move backwards, but part of the punch caught her on the jaw and caused her to stumble. It stunned her enough that she didn't have enough time to block a kick. As the woman's kick hit her in the right side, there was the sound of a small crack.

Reyna stumbled back and threw an off balanced punch. Her reward was another kick to the right side. Reyna stepped away and gasped for breath. She was skilled in hand to hand combat, but this woman just seemed to be better than her.

A third kick knocked Reyna to the ground. She scrambled backwards and placed a hand to her side. Even though she was wearing armor, it felt like one or two ribs were broken. It didn't make sense. No one could have a kick that was that strong enough to break through armor.

The woman aimed a kick at Reyna's head. Reyna caught the kick with her arm and shoved the woman back. Another punch was thrown, but the praetor caught it and threw the woman over her shoulder.

The effort caused more pain than Reyna was expecting. She gasped for breath and couldn't follow up on her advantage. A foot suddenly slammed into the middle of her rib cage. She fell to the ground and wheezed for breath. It was followed by coughing. The woman's foot slammed into the middle of her rib cage once again.

Reyna felt the dented armor angrily. She tried to roll onto her side, but another kick caught her right in the ribs. The kick caused Reyna to stop what she was doing. Once again, the breath was knocked out of her. She forced herself to scramble backwards.

All she needed was a moment to think. Every kick was aimed at her ribs, and that was a move meant to cripple Reyna. The woman didn't seem to want to kill her. Instead, it seemed like the woman wanted to disable Reyna, but why?

Reyna turned her head to the right and saw her dagger. The only hard part would be to get to it. Reyna growled in pain and dove for the dagger. Her hand wrapped around it, and she turned towards the woman.

A kick was barely blocked, and Reyna stabbed forward with the dagger. The woman caught the dagger in her hand, so Reyna punched her in the face. The praetor slammed the woman to the ground and punched her in the face once again. She gasped from the sharp pain in her ribs, but it didn't stop her from stabbing the dagger downwards.

The woman caught the dagger an inch from her chest. Reyna pushed down but didn't seem to make any progress. Her aching ribs definitely impeded the effort. A fist suddenly slammed into her face, and she was shoved off of the woman. Before Reyna could roll onto her stomach and stand, she was kicked in the ribs.

Reyna collapsed on her side and wheezed for breath. She hadn't felt the pain of broken ribs for a long time, and it was not something she wanted to relive. The woman grabbed her by her neck and picked her up. Reyna gasped as the grip tightened, and it became impossible to breath.

It took a moment for Reyna to react. She desperately grabbed at the woman's mask. After a moment, she managed to grab it. When Reyna tore the mask off, her heart stopped.

"Sister, you are out of practice," Hylla chided. Her grip didn't loosen. In fact, it seemed to tighten. Reyna stared at her sister for a very long moment, as the rest of the world faded away. There was no way that her sister would attack her.

"Hylla, what are you doing?" Reyna wheezed. She started to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen. Hylla studied her for a moment. There was no emotion on her face.

"I'm saving you from your fate," Hylla answered. She tightened her grip. Reyna gasped and clawed at her sister's hand. She knew that she only had a few moments, before she passed out. "Your ribs will keep you out of action until the end of the deadline, even with nectar and ambrosia. Rest and heal. Don't bother with the shield."

Hylla let go of Reyna. The youngest of daughter of Bellona collapsed to the ground and wheezed for breath. She closed her eyes painfully. Hylla was her older sister. There was no reason that Hylla would hurt her, yet Hylla had just broken at least two ribs.

"You won't remember this when you wake up," Hylla promised. She took a step back and seemed to aim a kick. Reyna knew it would be directed right at her temple. There was no doubt in her mind that Hylla wanted to concuss her. A concussion would most likely cause memory loss, so Reyna wouldn't remember who had attacked her. No one would allow her to go anywhere as well.

As Hylla brought her foot forward, Reyna rolled to her side. She jumped to her feet and punched her sister in the jaw. The jump alone caused Reyna to stop moving. A fist slammed into her mouth, and that was followed by an uppercut.

Reyna hit the ground hard, and Hylla wasted no time in kicking her in face. The world dissolved into pain for a few moments. Reyna groaned and saw her sister kneel next to her. A hand grabbed her jacket and pulled her closer.

"Stop fighting," Hylla ordered. She tightened her grip and studied her sister. Reyna spat blood in her sister's face. Anger was the only thing she could think about. Her older sister, the one person who was suppose to be on her side no matter what, had attacked her. "You need to forget about this mission."

"Why?" Reyna questioned. Her sister let go of her jacket, and Reyna groaned as she was dropped back to the ground. It hurt to breath, and her head was definitely aching. Reyna turned on her side and reached a hand out for her fallen dagger. Her sister stepped on her hand.

"You were always so stubborn," Hylla said sadly. She used her foot to roll Reyna onto her back. "I just want you to relax and heal up. Don't be a good Roman. Forget about this mission, understood?"

"I'm going to stop you," Reyna promised. She looked up at her sister. Hylla looked away and sighed sadly. She finally looked back down. Reyna stared into Hylla's eyes, and the last thing she felt was her sister's foot slamming into her temple.


	13. The Dream

Annabeth couldn't quell the worry in her chest. She swallowed painfully and looked around the meeting room that they were in. There was a large table in the middle of the room. On one side of the table, there was four chairs, for each of the four leaders. Various chairs were scattered throughout the rest of the room.

Three of the demititan leaders were sitting across from Annabeth. The fourth was kneeling by Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite sat on Annabeth's left. Oliver was kneeling next to Piper. He gently examined her arm.

"This interrogation shouldn't be necessary," Oliver argued. He turned towards Alex. "Piper is injured, and we don't know what happened at the warehouse. We should send you or Sarah to find Reyna and then go from there. I should be tending to Piper."

"No," Alex said. She crossed her arms. "Since we don't know what happened at the warehouse, we must exercise caution. Until we do, the praetor will just have to fend for herself, and these two might not even make it out of this room alive. How do we know they didn't just take the box for themselves?"

"We didn't," Piper interrupted. She explained what had happened at the warehouse. Annabeth listened silently, and it wasn't hard to miss the regret in Piper's voice. There was no doubt that Piper didn't want to leave Reyna behind, and Annabeth couldn't blame her.

It had only been ten minutes since Piper had stumbled into the demititan base. Annabeth's first reaction was to get Piper some nectar and ambrosia, but when she reached into her pocket, Alex instantly placed a dagger to her throat.

Piper's pain was clear, but she was holding strong. Her duffel bag was laying near Reyna's. When Piper finished her story, she looked at Alex. Her look almost dared Alex to question her story. In response, the demititan leaned back in her seat.

"If the praetor was confident she could take out her attacker, why would she send you away?" Alex asked. Thorn suddenly stood. The room fell silent as his chair slammed into the ground, and he turned on Alex.

"If you had an ounce of human emotion, you would understand that Reyna was concerned for her friend. She sent Piper away to get her out of danger and report what had happened, before you could kill Annabeth," Thorn said. His voice was barely above a whisper, and he sounded ready to yell.

"We should send someone to find Reyna. We can make sure that she is safe," Sarah said. After a glance to her left, she seemed to rethink her response. "It will also allow us to make sure that the box is safe, and we can have it back in our hands."

"I'm going to find Reyna, and no one is going to tell me different," Thorn said. Alex looked up at him. The two seemed to have a silent argument that ended with Alex standing. Thorn was at least a foot taller, but it didn't seem to matter.

"We don't know who is at the warehouse. They were able to ambush us, and one of them took two skilled demigods on. There is no way you are going," Alex argued. Thorn stepped closer, and Alex took a step back into the table.

"You are suspicious about every little thing in this world. You won't even tell the demigods who your father is, even though you claim to want to work with them. I am sick and tired of you thinking you control us. I am going to the warehouse, understood?" Thorn questioned. He grabbed Alex's wrist.

Annabeth watched the demititans. She found the cracks that she could exploit, but she also saw cracks that could lead to their downfall. There was a clear divide between Alex and Thorn. Annabeth worried it would come to a head while they were trying to find the shield.

"I am going to take care of Piper," Oliver interrupted. He helped Piper stand. Piper's face paled even more, and she slowly looked at Annabeth. There was no hesitation for Annabeth. She scooped up the duffel bags and helped her friend walk out of the room.

"There is nectar and ambrosia in our bag." Annabeth said. She walked down the long hallway with Oliver and Piper. Someone followed behind them. Annabeth was worried there would be a confrontation. Instead, Sarah appeared and held out a small bag.

"Here," Sarah offered. She opened the bag and handed the ambrosia to Piper. "This is not how I want our alliance to go. I'm sorry about Alex. She is suspicious of anything related to the Olympians. Do you think that your friend can fend for herself?"

"She can handle herself," Annabeth promised. That didn't stop the bad feeling in her gut. She hesitated to voice it, but something told her to. "I am worried though. The person who attacked her doesn't seem like your typical demigod."

"Thorn will get to the warehouse soon," Sarah promised. After a moment, she reached a hand up and pulled back her hood. Annabeth was surprised to see that Sarah had dirty blonde hair and bright, blue eyes. The demititan gave her a bright smile. "Children of Lelantos take after their mothers."

"Is it part of blending in?" Annabeth questioned. She received a nod. The rest of their walk was in silence. They stopped at a room that had the word infirmary above it. Oliver pushed the door open and helped Piper inside.

Sarah grabbed Annabeth's arm and spoke," I really am sorry about Alex. She's a good person, but her life has been hard. There has been some things that had shaped her, for the worst. Alex just needs time to trust you."

"I can understand that, but time is something we don't have," Annabeth said. She met Sarah's eyes. The demititan watched her silently. There was something intelligent in her eyes. Sarah understood their situation, but it was like she didn't want them to know that. "We have less than a week to figure this out. Trust has to happen."

"I know," Sarah whispered. She cleared her throat and held a hand. "I'll take the duffel bags to your room. You should stay with Piper. Can you keep me updated on her condition?"

"I will. Thank you," Annabeth said. She held out the duffel bags. Sarah took them and walked away. Annabeth heard a cry of pain, and it only took one second to enter the infirmary. Oliver looked like he had just finished setting Piper's arm.

"I can't heal," Oliver said apologetically. He looked at Annabeth and swallowed painfully. Annabeth gave him a small nod to show that it was okay. Piper looked like her pain was quickly fading, and that was all that mattered.

"Thank you," Piper said to Oliver. She closed her eyes and took the ambrosia that had Sarah had given her. Relief washed over Piper's face. Annabeth glanced at Oliver. Prying eyes studied her face.

"You're sleep deprived," Oliver stated. "You probably haven't slept since starting this quest, and I'm willing to bet that you don't plan on sleeping anytime soon. This quest has you stressed out too much."

Two things ran through Annabeth's head. The first was how differently Oliver acted around people and patients. Around people, he looked like he wanted to be out of sight as soon as possible. With patients, he would yell at whoever he needed to in order to get the job done.

The second was that Oliver had hit the nail on the head. The daughter of Athena had not slept once since she left the camp. The nightmares were too much to handle. When Reyna had been unconscious for a day, Annabeth had taken a majority of the watches while Piper slept. She had pretended to be asleep when it was Piper's turn to take the watch.

"I need to stay awake, so Reyna will know I'm safe," Annabeth argued. Oliver gave her a look and raised his eyebrows. It was clear that he did not believe her. He crossed his arms. Annabeth refused to budge.

"We will let Reyna know that you are safe," Oliver said. "You and Piper both need to rest. It won't do any good if you two are exhausted. Thorn can keep Alex in line, so the world doesn't burn down while you two are asleep."

Annabeth was stubborn, but she knew that she wouldn't win the argument. She finally nodded and led Piper to the room the demititans had given them. Piper seemed to be relaxing, but she looked tired as well. Annabeth knew that the two of them needed sleep.

"How do you feel?" Annabeth questioned. She glanced around. For most of her time there, she had not seen another demititan. Where were they?

"Terrible," Piper answered. "It's not just my arm. I shouldn't have left Reyna all alone. What if something happens to her? That woman took us on easily."

"There was nothing you could have done," Annabeth promised. They made it to their room, and she held open the door. The duffel bags were laying on the ground near their beds. Annabeth felt a flash of worry as she saw the third bed. "Reyna didn't want you to risk further injury."

Piper finally nodded. She laid on a bed and closed her eyes. Annabeth laid on the bed closest to her friend and stared at the ceiling. Her worry and anxiety was threatening to boil over. Despite that, as soon as she closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

* * *

_Annabeth's dream started out in a room that was covered by maps. The maps belonged to nations of the world, young and old. One map rested on a table, and two figures stood over it. The first was Annabeth's mother._

_To Annabeth's surprise, her mother was wearing a full set of Greek battle armor. It was polished perfectly and immaculate. Athena's grey eyes were troubled. She lowered a hand and placed a finger onto the map. Athena spoke, "They are here."_

_The second figure stepped out of the shadows and studied the map silently. Her black eyes held no emotion, and they seemed to be darker than her hair. It looked like she was born to wear Roman armor. There was no mistaking who the goddess was: Bellona._

_Annabeth slowly looked down at the map. She found five locations marked with a drachma. One of the locations was definitely Camp Half-Blood, and the other one seemed to be Camp Jupiter. It took Annabeth a moment to identify the location of the demititan camp. She had no clue what the other two were._

_"They have not found the most important piece," Bellona said. Her voice radiated power. If Annabeth closed her eyes, she could almost imagine Reyna speaking, if not for the fact that Bellona spoke more slowly and deliberate._

_"Our children will find it," Athena promised. She moved her hand towards on of the unknown locations. Annabeth did her best to study the map. It was on of the United States, and the drachma rested on Arizona. Athena moved it to Utah. "Were your daughter and the child of Aphrodite successful in retrieving the piece that belonged to the demititans?"_

_"Yes," Bellona answered. For a moment, pain showed in her eyes. The goddess sighed deeply and looked down at the map. It was clear she wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it. "Will it be necessary to use this weapon? If we use it and prove to be wrong, the consequences could be disastrous."_

_Annabeth felt hope blossom in her chest. Reyna had defeated her attacker and was on the way to the demititan base. They could then work on finding the shield. That was the only thing that mattered._

_"Even though I hope we are wrong, I doubt that we are," Athena said. Her fingers ran over the map before resting on her other arm. "Your daughter has a very difficult task ahead of her, even if she fails here."_

_"Reyna is up to the task," Bellona promised. She grabbed the drachma from Camp Jupiter and squeezed it in her hand. When she opened her hand, the drachma was crushed to dust. Bellona allowed it to trickle through her fingers and fall to the map. Her hand moved her sword belt, which held two swords. She unhooked one and placed it onto the table. "Mercury will deliver this?"_

_"He will," Athena replied. She sighed and contemplated the map. Her eyes made it seem like a piece of the puzzle was missing. "I hope that the faith in your daughter is not misplaced. And, what of the vial? Does Reyna still have it?"_

_"I believe so," Bellona answered. She placed a finger to New York. "We must talk sense into Mars. He will divide Olympus and the camps, at the time that they must be unified. For now, the two of us must work together."_

_"We will," Athena said. She turned her head and met Annabeth's eyes. It was like the goddess knew that Annabeth was watching them and wanted to give her a message. "Did Artemis take the news well?"_

_"Diana is as distraught as one would expect," Bellona replied. "She does not want to believe it, and who could blame her? She will come around though. We both can agree on that."_

_"We can," Athena agreed. She turned and looked at Bellona. Their eyes met for a long moment. "And, what of you? How are you handling your own news?"_

_Bellona remained silent for a moment. She looked at the map and glared at it. For a moment, there was a terrifying look of vengeance and anger in Bellona's eyes. It shook Annabeth to the core. The goddess of war finally looked up._

_"Hylla chose her path, when she attacked Reyna. All I can do now is watch what happens," Bellona answered. Annabeth stared at the goddesses. Before she could fully process the information, the scene in front of her changed._

_Annabeth looked around and found herself standing in the middle of a tent. The first thing she saw was a map resting on the table. It was a map of Manhattan. Annabeth frowned as she recognized the points of the map that were circled. It was the defensive positions that her and her friends had taken up, when they were fighting Kronos._

_Annabeth turned, and it felt like the breath was punched out of her. She blinked tears away and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. A deep breath and digging her nails into her hand allowed her to focus. Luke turned to look at her._

_It wasn't truly Luke, but that didn't make it hurt any less. It was Kronos inside of his body, and for a few moments, Annabeth was reliving losing Luke. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. It was hard to keep control of her boiling emotions._

_"Prometheus," Kronos said. He smiled, and Annabeth turned away. She couldn't stand to look at his face anymore. Annabeth focused on Prometheus as he stepped further into the tent. Prometheus bowed and took his time straightening up._

_"The box was delivered to Percy Jackson, as you requested," Prometheus reported. "As you predicted, he did not budge. I believe that he will, given time."_

_"He will," Kronos promised. Annabeth could just hear the cruel smile that was on his face. She looked back to see it and regretted the emotions that hit her like a wave. Kronos moved his hand to the side as if showing something off. "We have more important matters to attend to; you have a guest."_

_Annabeth looked at someone wearing a full set of armor: a full set of demititan armor. Upon Prometheus looking at them, they pulled off their helmet. Annabeth stared at Alex. The demititan had a cold expression on her face._

_"Father," Alex said. She looked at Prometheus and bowed her head to him. There was a surprised look on Prometheus' face, for a half of a second. It quickly disappeared, and Annabeth didn't think that Kronos noticed._

_Upon looked back at Alex, Annabeth reprimanded herself. She should have made the connection with the gray eyes. Prometheus cleared his throat and spoke, "Alex, what are you doing here?"_

_"You're fighting a war," Alex said. She held up her own helmet. "And, you didn't invite me. We can crush these stupid camps where they stand. They don't even know about each other! We can turn them against each other."_

_"Your daughter could be very useful," Kronos commented. "I can see lack of mercy that she has. There is a ruthlessness in her eyes. If she knows her place, we can use her to her fullest extent."_

_"Alex should be with her friend, not in a war," Prometheus said. He walked towards Alex and gently grabbed her arm. Prometheus practically dragged his daughter to the entrance of tent._

_"Friends?" Kronos questioned. He stood from his throne and walked towards them. Prometheus seemed to swallow a painful lump in his throat. Kronos stopped in front of him. "What friends?"_

_"My lord, may I speak to my daughter, alone?" Prometheus questioned. Kronos studied them for a long moment. He finally turned and walked back towards his throne. After sitting on it, Kronos watched them._

_"It's my tent," Kronos said. He motioned for them to leave. Prometheus grabbed Alex and dragged her out of the tent. He dragged her through a crowd of monsters, who all turned to look at her. They didn't stop till they were at the edge of the camp._

_"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Alex demanded. She pulled away from her father and rubbed her shoulder. Alex glared at her father but was also looking around the city block. Her eyes widened from all the destruction._

_"I didn't want any of you to get involved," Prometheus answered. "Kronos does not know about the demititans as a group. He believes that they are all simply scattered in the wind. The rest of the Titans agreed to keep your existence a secret, for your own safety. If Kronos knew about you, he would force you to fight against the demigods. You would bolster the front lines, at no loss to him._

_"I will happily fight for Kronos," Alex said. She turned back towards the camp. "I can easily get the other demititans to agree. Sarah is smitten with me and will do whatever I say. Thorn is new to leadership, and that makes him easy to manipulate. Cameron is getting sicker by the day."_

_"No," Prometheus interrupted. He grabbed Alex's shoulder. There was an intense look in his eyes. "You must quell your thirst for vengeance. Stop blaming your mother's death on the Olympians."_

_"Mother died because of Zeus. He has to pay," Alex snapped. Prometheus tightened his grip on Alex's shoulder. "You know I'm right, father."_

_"You must put those thoughts aside," Prometheus repeated. "Go back to the demititans and prepare. A storm is coming that you may not be ready for. Do you trust me?"_

_"I trust you," Alex said, after a long moment. She sighed and put her helmet on. Prometheus let go of her, and he watched her walk away. The Titan turned and looked directly at Annabeth. He gave her a nod, and Annabeth knew his unspoken words: the storm had arrived._


	14. The Plan

Ever since Tartarus, Annabeth lived on the edge. A wrong movement could set her off, and she had been struggling to keep it under control. It was easier when she was awake, but when someone grabbed her shoulder while she sleeping, she lashed out with a kick.

Someone grunted from the kick, and Annabeth kicked their legs out from under them. She pinned the person a moment later and forced her dagger against their throat. It took her a moment to hear the person's pained breathing. Annabeth's eyes took a few moments to adjust to the darkness.

"Annabeth, it's me," Reyna wheezed. The pain was clear in her voice, and she was wheezing miserably. It only took Annabeth one second to stand. She turned on the light and turned back towards Reyna.

The daughter of Bellona curled up on her side. Annabeth couldn't tell if it was from the pain in her chest or if it was a tactic to avoid the bright light. One of Reyna's hands gripped her purple shirt, as if she could transfer the pain to it. Her other hand slipped into the pocket of beige shorts that definitely didn't belong to her.

"I'm so sorry," Annabeth began. She gently pulled Reyna to her feet and sat her down on the bed. Reyna painfully laid back and placed a hand to her ribs. Her eyes closed tightly, but there was no sign of anger on her face, just pain. "I was sleeping and freaked out. I didn't mean to kick you."

"You have a strong kick," Reyna commented. The pain was gone from her voice. Annabeth offered her hand, but when Reyna didn't take it, all Annabeth could do was sit by her. They were both silent for a few moments. The daughter of Athena listened to her friend's wheezing as it slowly turned to normal breathing.

Annabeth bit her lip. She glanced down at her friend. How was she suppose to tell Reyna about what had happened in her dream? Would Reyna even believe her? If there was one thing the praetor would never believe, it was that family would betray her.

"Hylla attacked me," Reyna said. Annabeth turned to look at her. There was no emotion on Reyna's face, but her voice gave away all of her pain and heartbreak. The daughter of Bellona took a shaky and pained breath.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked quietly. She didn't know whether to comfort her friend or just remain silent. Reyna laid her head back and closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at Annabeth.

"The fight was even for awhile. Hylla managed to get enough kicks in that she broke my ribs. After that, she was pretty much in control. She tried to concuss me, so I wouldn't remember the fight and the fact that my own flesh and blood betrayed me. Obviously, it didn't work."

Annabeth stood and offered her hand. It took Reyna a moment to grab her hand. Annabeth slowly pulled her friend to her feet. Reyna visibly bit her tongue to keep from crying out. It only took her a moment to collapse onto the nearest bed. Standing was clearly not in the cards for the daughter of Bellona.

"How long have you had PTSD?" Reyna asked. Annabeth turned to stare at her friend. The praetor looked like she had gotten zero sleep and had spent plenty of time brooding. Her eyes showed all of the anger and pain that her face hid.

"I don't," Annabeth began. Sure, there had been horrible moments in her life, but she didn't have PTSD. Reyna looked at her. It was clear that she didn't believe Annabeth.

"A lot of people suffer from PTSD. It's not something to be ashamed about, and it helps to talk about it. Trust me on that one," Reyna said. She slowly moved and made room for Annabeth. The daughter of Athena slowly sat down.

"I know I should talk about it, but it just freaks me out," Annabeth mumbled. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged her knees tightly. Reyna watched her for a few moments. The two met eyes.

"I kept in my own demons for years," Reyna began. She took a deep breath and winced. "When the pirates took Hylla and I, they wanted to make sure that we knew they were in charge. They had me whipped in front of the other attendants, and my sister."

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise. She knew that the pirates had wanted revenge, but she didn't think they would have been that cruel. Reyna slowly sat up and turned her back to Annabeth. The daughter of Bellona slowly lifted her shirt.

Annabeth stared at the scars on Reyna's back. The scars had faded after years of healing, but it wasn't hard to imagine what they had been like before. Regret ran through her. If they hadn't freed the pirates, Reyna would never have been used as a message.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said. Reyna pulled her shirt down and looked at the daughter of Athena. There wasn't much emotion on Reyna's face, and she didn't look upset. That didn't stop the guilt from spreading in Annabeth's chest. "If I had known they would have done that, I would have found a different way to free Percy."

"I've kept this hidden for years. Whenever anyone asked me, I would lie and say I was attacked by a monster. The only person I really talked to was Nico. When I told him, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off of my chest. After you begin to tell someone, it gets easier," Reyna said.

"Later," Annabeth promised. She took a deep breath and tried to think about Tartarus. Panic started to fill her chest. Annabeth quickly looked at the wall and started to run through the names of her favorite architectures. It managed to slowly calm her down. "I don't think I'm ready to talk about it now."

"You take as long as you need," Reyna said. She slowly laid back down and exhaled painfully. Annabeth leaned against the wall and examined the bare room. There was nothing besides their bags and the three beds. For a few minutes, the two stayed in comfortable silence.

"How long was I asleep?" Annabeth questioned. She felt rested, even if she was on edge. It was easier to turn her mind back to the quest and focus all of her energy on that. Anything was better than those dark thoughts. Annabeth quickly looked at Reyna and tried to focus on her friend's face.

"I'm not sure," Reyna replied. She shifted and groaned. "All I know is that we have three days left in our deadline. I also know that Hylla has to be involved in the shield, which would mean the Amazons are also involved. That's why she attacked me."

"How are you handling what Hylla did?" Annabeth asked. Reyna looked at her. The answer was written clearly on her face: Reyna was heartbroken. It was clear she didn't understand why her sister would attack her.

"Hylla said she was saving me from my fate, but that doesn't make any sense," Reyna said. "We all know that you only get closer to fate the more you try to avoid it. I think she was just trying to justify her actions to herself."

"Where do we go from here?" Annabeth wondered. She thought it was best to change the subject and get Reyna's mind off of her older sister. Reyna laid her head back and seemed to be thinking. Before she could respond, the door opened.

Annabeth turned towards the door. She smiled as she saw Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite smiled at them and adjusted her sling. It didn't look like she was in any pain, which was a good thing. Piper looked at Reyna and smiled.

"The demititans want us for breakfast and a discussion," Piper said. Annabeth nodded and stood. She held a hand out to Reyna. The daughter of Bellona grabbed her hand, and Annabeth gently pulled her friend to her feet. Pain appeared on Reyna's face.

"Are you sure you want to go to the meeting?" Annabeth asked. Reyna looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Annabeth nodded and knew she shouldn't have asked a question like that. The three left the room and started to walk down the hallway.

As they walked, Reyna told them about her fight with Hylla. It was clear that Reyna didn't remember all the details of the fight and seemed to have some memory loss. When Reyna finished her story, Annabeth told them everything she knew about the demititans. When her story was finished, they had made it to a cafeteria.

Piper led them into the large room. Annabeth looked around the cafeteria. A few demititans were sitting at tables and eating. As soon as the demititans saw the demigods, they stopped eating and started studying them. Annabeth didn't show any emotion on her face. She knew the demititans were sizing them up, but it didn't take long for them to return to eating.

The four demititan leaders sat at a table in the corner of the room. Sarah had earbuds in and was using her utensils as drumsticks. Alex sat next to her and was silently drawing into a notebook. Thorn and Oliver were both eating food. There was three untouched plates that Annabeth assumed was set out for them.

"I believe I owe you a thanks," Reyna said, as she looked at Thorn. The demititan looked at her and nodded. He motioned for all of them to sit. There was two demititans on each side of the table, and it looked like an attempt to be friendly and act like they weren't divided.

Annabeth and Piper sat next to Oliver and Thorn. The two demititans had stopped eating and were watching them in interest. Reyna examined Alex and slowly sat next to her. The only sign of pain on Reyna's face was her lip twitching slightly.

"You should eat. We promise it's not poisonous," Sarah said. Annabeth slowly grabbed a plate and ate a few bites. She wasn't really in a mood to eat, but it seemed best to appease the demititans. It was also a good thing that the food tasted pretty good.

"We have much to talk about," Alex began. She examined each of the demigods carefully. Her gaze focused on Reyna for the longest time. Reyna returned the gaze and almost seemed to be challenging Alex. "We want to discuss the box, and we want to find the location of the shield."

"What are you going to about the box?" Piper asked. She was awkwardly trying to cut her pancakes using only a fork. There was determination on her face, which made Annabeth a little nervous to offer help. "It must have been really important, if you sent Reyna and I to find it."

"At the moment, the box is a secondary priority," Thorn replied. He finished his plate and pushed it away. "It is unfortunate that we were unable to get the box back, but hopefully, the Amazons won't be able to open it."

"It doesn't matter if the Amazons can already open it or not," Reyna interrupted. "When my sister was distracted, I opened the box and slipped the contents into my duffel bag. That's why I had Piper take my duffel bag and come back here."

"Wait. You, a Roman demigod, opened the box?" Alex asked incredulously. She looked at Reyna with a new look. After a moment, the daughter of Bellona nodded. Alex sighed and rubbed her face. "This just got a lot more complicated."

"What is so important about this box?" Annabeth questioned. She studied Alex. "We held up our end of the bargain and brought back what was in the box. I believe we have earned a little bit of trust and a lot of explanations."

"Reyna, are you the only one who touched the box?" Alex questioned. She leaned forward and studied Reyna in even more interest. When the daughter of Bellona nodded, Alex almost seemed to glare. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes," Reyna said. One hand moved to touch the vial on her necklace. Annabeth had almost forgotten that it existed. Sarah's eyes focused on the necklace.

"Rhea is a lot more involved than we thought," Sarah commented. She winced as Alex seemed to elbow her. Alex turned her head towards Sarah, but Annabeth could just feel the scathing look that was being given.

"If we are going to find the shield, we must trust each other," Piper said. Reyna looked at all of them and nodded. She shared her story of how Rhea had saved her from the drakon and the conversation that the two shared afterwards.

"She called you the one," Thorn commented. He nodded. "That is a pretty big title. You should wear it proudly and carefully. It is odd that a Titan would mark a demigod like that, even if the Titan is Rhea."

"Does anyone have any idea what Rhea was talking about, or was she just doing that stupid things that all the immortals love to do? Why can't they ever just give us a straight answer?" Sarah wondered. Annabeth wondered the same thing.

"My mother, Athena, told me that the shield was being used as a distraction," Annabeth added. Her eyes focused ahead. "I wish we could learn what the thief wanted us to be distracted from, but Ares won't allow us to do that. It's logical to assume that since Hylla wanted the box, she is involved with the shield."

"We don't have any proof though," Reyna muttered. She clenched her plastic fork, and it started to bend. The anger showed on her face for a few moments, but her eyes were cold. Reyna dropped the fork and sighed. "A divine had to be involved in the theft, and Hylla has only one divine she answers to."

"Your mother can't be involved," Piper said. Reyna slowly looked at them. Her face did nothing to make Annabeth feel better. Piper glanced at Annabeth, and a silence filled the large room. It was clear the other demititans were listening in. "Would Bellona be involved?"

"With my mother, there is no telling," Reyna said. She leaned back. "Mars said he was having trouble with my mother. I don't think my mother would stoop to the level of taking his shield to anger him, but she would steal it if it distracted us and gave her an advantage."

"Bellona has no reason to steal the shield," Annabeth interrupted. "My mother and her were talking in one of my dreams, and it seemed like they were on good terms. Athena would not work with Bellona, if Bellona had stolen the shield. Besides, deception is not her strong suit. She would just stab Ares and get it over with."

The words seemed to strike a chord with Reyna. She nodded and looked back down at her food. Only a few, small bites had been taken. Her fork was now completely bent on the plate. Reyna looked around the table, and a heavy silence started to settle.

"If I can make a suggestion, we should strike the source," Oliver began. Everyone looked at him, and he shifted awkwardly. "We know that the Amazons have been scouring this area, and we now know that they have rented a hotel not far from here. If we can get inside, there is a chance we can find information about the shield."

"If the Amazons see a demititan, they would kill us on sight. There's no way we can go near that hotel," Alex argued. She seemed to think for a moment. Alex looked at the three demigods, and a smile came to her face. "But, we do have demigods here."

"Hylla did try to concuss Reyna, so she wouldn't remember the fight," Annabeth began. She looked around. Her friends both glanced at her. "We can use that to our advantage. Hylla would probably keep up the pretenses and allow Piper or I inside."

"I can go with you," Reyna protested. Annabeth looked up at the daughter of Bellona. She knew Reyna's pride would never allow her to sit out while on a quest. They couldn't afford to take any more risks though. They needed Reyna to rest and heal up.

"You are too injured to help us, and if I had the choice, Piper would stay here, so she can rest," Annabeth said. Piper went to protest, but Annabeth held up a hand. "Hylla wouldn't find it odd if I was the only one there, and it might lure her into a false sense of confidences."

"What if Hylla decides to just take you as a hostage?" Reyna interrupted. "You can't go without any backup. Hylla would have no problems taking you as a hostage, if it gave her more control."

"I won't allow her to," Annabeth promised. "We are running out of time on our deadline, and we have no clue where the shield even is. You have to trust that I know what I am doing and can do it safely."

Reyna looked away but nodded. She rubbed her forehead and sighed tiredly. Piper glanced at Annabeth, and the concern was clear in her eyes. Annabeth did her best to focus on the nearest wall. The demititans had been completely silent during their debate.

"Annabeth doesn't have to be alone," Sarah began. "I could go with her and claim that I was sent by Camp Half-Blood to help, after what happened to Reyna and Piper. I know for a fact that no Amazons know that I exist."

"It's not happening," Alex interrupted. She gave Sarah a stern look and crossed her arms. Sarah sent her a reassuring look. The two had a silent debate that ended with Alex looking away and almost pouting.

"It would be nice to have you as backup," Annabeth said to Sarah. The demititan seemed like she was the most trustworthy. Even if Sarah was going to betray her, she would either do it on the way to the Amazons or with the Amazons. Something told Annabeth the two groups were not allies at all. Soon, she would learn who her true ally was.

"Before you two go, we should see what was pulled from the box," Thorn stated. He leaned back in his seat, and his gaze settled on Reyna. "May I retrieve your duffel bag and bring it back here?"

"Left pocket," Reyna answered. After a moment, Thorn nodded and stood. He quickly hurried out of the cafeteria. The six of them sat in silence as they waited for Thorn's return. Other demititans in the cafeteria sent glances their way.

Thorn finally returned holding a piece of cloth. He sat it down at the table, before returning to his seat. For a moment, they all stared at the piece of cloth. Everyone seemed hesitant to show what was inside. Reyna finally grabbed the cloth and uncovered the item.

As Annabeth saw the blade, her breath caught in her throat. The blade was made of Celestial Bronze and steel. She had seen the weapon before, when it was intact. Annabeth stared at the weapon for a very long time, and she had flashbacks to the battle of Mount Olympus.

"That's Kronos' blade," Alex whispered. She reached a hand forward to grab it but hesitated at the last second. Reyna looked around and almost seemed confused. It occurred to Annabeth that Reyna probably didn't know Kronos by his Greek name, but it didn't really matter.

"So, that leaves us with a very important question," Thorn said. He looked around one more time and cleared his throat. "We have a piece of Kronos' sword, so how many more are there? And, who else has the other pieces?"


	15. The Suspicion

As the room fell into complete and utter silence, Piper stared at the blade resting on the table. She knew the stories about Camp Half-Blood's battle against Kronos. A piece of the blade did not seem like a big deal, but it was concerning that it wasn't locked up anywhere. Reyna looked up at them and seemed to be thinking.

"Kronos is Saturn, correct?" Reyna questioned. She chewed on her lip. "Nico told me that you had a large battle against him. We never did have the name Saturn mentioned when we went to war. What is so important about his sword?"

"Kronos' sword is the most powerful weapon that has ever been created," Alex answered. She stood and unsheathed her own sword. Alex sat her sword down by the piece of Kronos' blade. "Ouranos was expelled from our world because of this weapon. I would dare to say it could expel any of the other immortals."

"It seems like this sword is the same design as our," Thorn commented. He smirked. "If it is, there should be three other pieces missing and the handle. For all we know, the sword could be an old Greek design. That doesn't tell us who has the other pieces."

"Why would you only be given a piece?" Annabeth questioned. She leaned back in her seat, and her eyebrows came together thoughtfully. "I had a dream where Bellona and my mother were talking. They were looking at a map that had five locations marked. That must be where the other pieces are located."

"Where were the other places?" Piper asked. She shifted and winced in pain. Hylla had not been so kind when she had broken it. Piper assumed that Reyna's broken heart was hurting worse though. An injured limb was nothing compared to the sting of betrayal.

"Both of the camps were marked," Annabeth answered. "I don't know where the other two locations were marked. I didn't really focus on the map, since there was so much to take in."

"Instead of wondering about things we cannot know, you two should get ready to go," Alex interrupted. She glanced at Sarah and gave her an angry look. Piper watched the two quietly, but when she saw Annabeth nod, the only thing Piper could do was stand.

"That sounds like a good idea," Annabeth commented. She led Piper out of the room. They both waited as Reyna stopped by Oliver and said something to him. Reyna nodded and slowly walked out of the room. The praetor was doing everything in her power to keep from wheezing.

"Do you think you can trick Hylla? Something tells me that she isn't that gullible," Piper commented. When no response was given, she led her two friends towards their room. Demititans passed them, and odd glances were given every time. It seemed like they were surprised that everything was peaceful.

As they made it to the room, Reyna laid on the nearest bed and curled up. She pressed a pillow against ribs and sighed deeply. Annabeth and Piper sat on the bed next to her. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"How is your arm?" Annabeth asked. She looked at Piper and leaned against the wall. Piper looked down and slowly rubbed her arm. She leaned back as well and enjoyed the moment of rest. Something told her they wouldn't get more for awhile.

"It's better," Piper answered. She looked at Reyna, who shifted and opened one eye. "I only had to remove my jacket. You got to show off your abs."

A small smirk came to the praetor's face. She opened both of her eyes and shifted. Reyna spoke, "You could call it a personal goal. I went from a famished kid all the way to having abs. Jason had some as well, but I'm pretty sure he lost them when he went to Camp Half-Blood."

Annabeth threw a pillow near Reyna but made sure not to hurt her. The smirk turned into a smile, but it was lost only a few moments later. Reyna looked down at the ground and sighed. The daughter of Bellona spoke, "My sister betrayed me."

A heavily silence fell over the room. Piper glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena bit her lip for a moment and slowly stood. She silently started to pack. Piper wanted to say something to make her friend feel better, but something told her Reyna wanted the quiet.

"Good luck," Piper said to Annabeth. Her friend looked at her and smiled. "The demititans have a place where you can Iris message Percy. I already updated Chiron and Frank. They told us to be safe and careful. They also said they would keep things quiet."

"Be safe," Reyna muttered quietly. She shifted and looked at them for a moment. Then, she looked back down at the bed. Annabeth finished packing her things. She threw her bag over her shoulder and gripped her sword.

"I will be safe," Annabeth promised. She gave both of them a smile before turning and walking out of the room. After a moment, Piper sat down on an empty bed and closed her eyes. Her hand moved to cradle the sling that her arm was in. She was already counting down the minutes till she could get rid of it.

A small noise caught her attention. Piper opened her eyes and looked at Reyna. It surprised her how tense her friend was. Then, Piper realized that Reyna was trying to hold it all together and most likely needed time to herself.

"I'm going to talk to Alex. I'll be back in a few," Piper promised. When no response was given, she opened her mouth. She debated saying something else, but instead, Piper turned and walked out. It took her a few moments to remember which direction Alex' room was. At first, it had been a convenient excuse to escape the room, but there was some questions that she needed answers to.

Piper stopped outside of Alex's room. The door was slightly open, and Piper could hear voices. Part of her didn't want to spy on the two demititans, but she still found herself moving closer to the door.

"You need to stay safe," Alex ordered. Her voice was low and angry, as if she was trying to keep from yelling. "The demititans cannot afford to lose you. I cannot afford to lose you. This plan is insane. There are a million things that can go wrong."

"You're so cute when you worry," Sarah commented. "And, you're so protective. Your face gets all red, and your voice does that weird thing Prometheus does when he has some grand plan. It is very cute. What isn't cute is your paranoia. Those three demigods won't hurt us."

"Those three demigods wouldn't dare anything, while they are surrounded by demititans. What about when you are alone with the daughter of Athena?" Alex demanded. Her voice raised in level. "And, we don't know that Hylla won't just kill you on the spot. She's the queen of the Amazons. They aren't to be toyed with."

"We're not toying with anyone," Sarah said. "This is an important step that we have to take. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and this is a delicate situation. I think it requires my delicate touch, but I promise that I will be safe. Now, you should tell our demigod friends about your theory, miss hard ass."

"It's a theory. Nothing else. I don't want anyone to be distracted by it. If I find something concrete, I will gladly share," Alex said. She sighed. "You should get going. Promise me you'll be safe."

Piper instantly backed away from the door. She slipped around a corner and counted quietly to herself. When Piper heard footsteps, she turned the corner again and almost ran into Sarah. The demititan gave her a nod before disappearing from sight.

Piper walked towards Alex's door and knocked. It took a few moments for the door to open. Alex examined her for a moment and spoke, "Daughter of Aphrodite, would you like to play some chess?"

"I'll pass," Piper answered. She shifted for a moment and tried to figure out how dangerous Alex really was. "Actually, I wanted to talk about a dream that Annabeth had. You wanted to have the demititans fight with Kronos."

Alex's eyes instantly narrowed. She glanced around the hallway before opening the door more to allow Piper in. Piper didn't take a step into the room. There was no way she could trust Alex enough, not until she had some kind of explanation.

"Scared to do anything without your bodyguards?" Alex questioned. She leaned on the door frame and studied Piper. "I hate the Olympians with every fiber of my being. If Olympus were to catch on fire, I would gladly gather the demititans to watch it burn."

"Why do you hate them?" Piper asked. "The Olympians probably don't care much for you, but I doubt they try to actively destroy you. We don't have to be enemies, Alex. We don't even have to be friends. The important thing is that we work together."

"Zeus murdered my mother," Alex snapped. She pushed off of the wall and got right into Piper's face. Piper found herself being slammed into the wall a moment later. "I could not care less if Olympus fell. The only reason I didn't help was because my father ordered me stay out of the fight. If he hadn't, I would have destroyed you Greeks."

Piper stared at Alex and slowly moved her hand to her dagger. A hand appeared on Alex's shoulder. Piper turned her head and met Reyna's eyes. Reyna spoke, "You should get your hand off of my friend. Now."

"It looks like the bodyguard is back," Alex commented. She stepped away and held her hands up. Reyna stepped in front of Piper and watched Alex closely. Piper gently grabbed Reyna's arm. She could feel how tensed the daughter of Bellona was.

"How did you even meet the Amazons?" Piper asked. She needed to keep the peace. Alex took another step away and leaned on her door frame.

"We haven't officially met," Alex answered. "I thought all demigods were in the dark about us, until about a month ago. An Amazon ambush was the first sign we had of their knowledge about us. Of course, I would assume that Hylla would have told her sister about us, didn't she?"

"No," Reyna answered, without hesitation. "Hylla hasn't told anything me anything about you. The first sign I had of the demititans' existence was when one tried to kidnap me. I believe that you ordered it, didn't you?"

"Sarah scouted the Amazons after the attack," Alex said. "That's why she was there when the drakon attacked. I simply wanted answers to a question. We weren't going to kidnap or hurt you."

Reyna's lip twitched, but she remained silent. Piper studied the demititan in front of them. What if it was all one big trick? What if Annabeth was walking into a trap? Piper swallowed painfully. She didn't trust Alex, but she did trust Sarah.

"Hopefully, nothing goes wrong with the Amazons," Alex commented. She gave Reyna a look. "If something does happen to Sarah, I know who should pay the price."

"We should go back to our room," Piper said quickly. She grabbed Reyna's arm and tried to led her away. The daughter of Bellona didn't fight. She followed Piper after a few moments.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," Reyna muttered. It was clearly hard for her to talk, let alone walk. Piper led Reyna back to their room and gently helped her laid down. Piper sat on the bed.

"We just have to hope that this gives us a new lead," Piper said. She looked down at Reyna. "You need to rest and let the nectar and ambrosia do its job. The only thing we can do now is wait."


	16. The Second Betrayal

"Are you sure that the Amazons are here?" Annabeth asked, as she looked up at the large hotel in front of them. It had a clear view of the park, but the place seemed to be almost dead. It was like the hotel didn't have any business. Annabeth looked at Sarah.

The demititan had changed into shorts and a jacket. A Greek breastplate was peeking out from her jacket. One hand fixed the bow that was hung across her back. Sarah looked like she had just stepped out of Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth assumed that was the look the demititan wanted to go for.

"You did say that the Amazons thought we had a base in the park. This is the only hotel that gives a great view of the park. They can sit at a window and scout it out. This hotel is also never this empty. Something is going on," Sarah explained. Her eyes flickered around as if she was nervous.

Annabeth nodded and pushed open the doors of the hotel. Instead of an empty lobby, she saw multiple women moving around the lobby frantically. One had an armful of weapons that they were moving towards the elevator. Two more were consulting a map. Hylla leaned against the front counter, overseeing all of the chaos.

Hylla turned her head to look a them. Her eyes widened slightly. As two Amazons approached, Hylla pushed herself off of the counter and spoke, "We'll have three patrols of about twenty each. We'll start at the edges of the park and meet in the middle. I wanted everyone ready in less than a hour."

Hylla ran a hand through her head and turned towards Annabeth and Sarah. She studied both of them for a moment and spoke, "Annabeth, what are you doing here, and who is that?"

"We came for help on our quest," Annabeth replied. "Piper, Reyna, and I were accused of stealing Ares' shield, and we got sent onto a quest to find it. Piper and Reyna were attacked by someone. They're hurt, and after running into your Amazons the other day, we hoped we could get some help."

"How bad is Reyna?" Hylla questioned. There seemed to be legitimate concern in her face. "She wouldn't want to sit out on a quest."

"Broken ribs," Annabeth answered. "She's resting though. Piper got her arm broken. They'll be okay, but I didn't want them to risk further injury. We didn't know you were here though. I'm sure Reyna would have wanted to come, if she knew."

Hylla nodded. Her eyes focused on Sarah. The demititan didn't waste a second. Sarah smiled and spoke, "My name is Sarah. I'm a daughter of Apollo, and since I live near here, Chiron asked if I could help, and I couldn't just leave Annabeth hanging. Will would have spent the rest of the week yelling at me." 

Annabeth glanced at Sarah. How did the demititan know that Will went to Camp Half-Blood and that it was probably the only child of Apollo that Hylla would recognize. Annabeth slowly looked back at Hylla.

"Well, I'm in the middle of helping the Amazons prepare for war," Hylla said. She looked at Sarah for a moment before looking at Annabeth. "I'll help the best I can though. Is there anything in particular that you need?"

"When we talked to the Amazons, Vera said there was demigods nearby that you think are involved with the shield. Sarah knows the area well, so she can try to help you look around. I'll help however I can. We just want the shield when we find it," Annabeth answered.

"I think that's a deal," Hylla said with a nod. She didn't look like someone who had attacked her sister. The concern still seemed to be in her eyes. "Now, I want to talk about my sister's condition. Does she remember anything about her attacker?"

"No," Annabeth lied. "She doesn't remember anything, but her concussion is subsiding. I'll make sure she knows you were here. Reyna will probably be upset that she missed you. She was already annoyed that we made her stay in bed."

"Queen Hylla!" An Amazon called. Annabeth turned and saw an Amazon hurry out of the elevator. They tripped on the carpet and almost dropped their iPad. After a moment, the Amazon made it back to their feet. "The meeting is about to begin."

"Meeting?" Sarah asked. "We didn't mean to keep you occupied. Should we get with one of your Amazons or just wait?"

"It's more of a war committee," Hylla answered with a smirk. "Those idiots hiding nearby won't know what hit them. While I'm at the meeting, you two can explore all you like. It's a hotel, so I doubt you will find anything interesting."

"Thank you," Annabeth said. She glanced at Sarah. There was a bored, uninterested look in Sarah's eyes. The demititan was definitely a good actress. Hylla didn't look like she knew Sarah's real identity. "We'll probably just walk around for a little."

Annabeth led Sarah towards a bench and quietly starting putting items in her backpack. She kept her back to the Amazon. "I've seen some Amazons carrying tablets. I assume it has important information on it. What do you think?"

"Yeah," Sarah whispered. "I can steal one without drawing attention. It's a little skill I picked up. We'll have to get to a safe place before we look at it though. An empty hotel room could work, but we'd have to be able to get inside the room. A bathroom might work."

Annabeth smiled. She grabbed the hat from her bag and pulled it out. It was her cap of invisibility, and it was back to full strength. After making sure no one was around, she put the cap on. Annabeth spoke, "I have it handled."

"Nice," Sarah commented. She leaned against the wall and looked around. One hand mindlessly messed with a dagger. Annabeth watched for a moment and debated staying there. If Sarah was going to betray her, it would be when she thought Annabeth wasn't watching.

After thirty seconds of staring, Annabeth turned and walked down the hallway. The twenty feet that she had to walk to the elevator was full of dodging Amazons that couldn't see her and flew by. An elevator was closing a few feet ahead of her, and Annabeth almost had to dive to make it.

"I want your candidates for the front line," An Amazon said. She was looking over a clipboard but looked completely bored. The Amazon sighed and looked around the cramped elevator. Annabeth forced herself into a corner and did her best to not touch anyone.

"Are they really so good that we have to throw bait and fodder at them?" one of the Amazons asked. She was gripping a tablet and looked nervous about everything. She shifted and looked around. The other three Amazons all looked at each other.

"No clue," the Amazon with the clipboard answered. "No one knows anything about these freaks. They weren't a threat during the war with Kronos, as far as we know. I don't really care. All I have to do is make the stupid list. Candidates. Now."

As the elevator opened, Annabeth quickly stepped out. She realized her mistake as she saw the hallway was packed with Amazons. To avoid hitting anyone, Annabeth stepped into the first open room that she found. A familiar Amazon was pacing around angrily.

"I could not care less about this stupid group," Vera muttered. She flung her weapon onto the bed and turned towards the Amazon leaning on a desk. It took Annabeth a moment to recognize the Amazon as Kelsey.

"It is now required that all Amazons learn how to use magic," Kelsey said. She adjusted herself and brought her palm forward. A bright flame appeared in her hand. Annabeth's eyes widened, and she bit back a gasp.

There was a small list of people who could teach the Amazons magic. Was it possible that Hecate was involved with the shield? Why did all Amazons have to learn magic though? Hylla was still the queen. It made no sense to Annabeth.

"Queen Hylla has implemented some stupid policies as of late," Vera commented. She shook her head. "First, it was this stupid thing where she just allowed the unworthy in. Then, it is the magic crap."

"Are you bad mouthing our queen?" Kelsey questioned. She stood and walked towards Vera. "Do I need to remind you that you are on probation for what you have done. Should I have my lady speak to you?"

Vera's face paled. She finally shook her head and slowly sat on the bed. Annabeth studied the scene. It was odd that Kelsey had called Hylla her lady, unless she was talking about someone else. Something told Annabeth that they were missing a crucial piece to the puzzle.

Kelsey smirked and walked out. After a moment, Annabeth followed her. She trailed Kelsey till they were standing in front of the Amazon with the clipboard. The two waited for the hallway to begin to clear before they spoke.

"Should we add Vera to the front line with the others?" the Amazon with the clipboard asked. "It seems like she has started to question things a little more than she should. Someone overheard the conversation you two had."

"Yes," Kelsey answered. "Hopefully, the demititans are as good as we have been led to believe. They will help us silence a few dissenters, at no cost to us. It is beautiful. I really do love this plan. Vera is going to pay for her stupid mouth."

"Hopefully," the Amazon with the clipboard commented. She hummed and examined the clipboard with a small smile. "Now, they do have some cute slave boys. Do you think you can set me up on a date with one of them?" 

Annabeth figured the conversation would go nowhere productive, so she stepped away from the Amazons. It took her a moment to walk back into Vera's room. Vera was muttering to herself and walking back and forth. After glancing behind her, Annabeth closed the hotel door.

"What in Hades?" Vera demanded. She stepped back and went to grab her sword. Annabeth took off her hat, and Vera stared at her. The Amazon looked extremely confused, and her mouth was hanging up a bit. It took her a moment to close her mouth. "What are you doing here? And how?"

"I need your tablet," Annabeth answered. She glanced back at the door. "It's a long story, but we know that Hylla attacked Reyna. We know that something is wrong with the Amazons, but we don't know what it is. We need your help, and the tablet can help us. I also know that Kelsey is trying to kill you by putting you on the front lines against the demititans." 

Vera seemed to think the words over. She finally grabbed her tablet and threw it at Annabeth. Since Annabeth wasn't expecting a tablet to be flung at her, she almost didn't catch it. Part of her didn't think that Vera would hand over the information so easily.

"What is going on with the Amazons?" Annabeth asked. She unzipped her jacket and tucked the tablet into one of the inner pockets. Her eyes moved back to Vera. The Amazon opened the door and glanced out.

"Look, Hylla is playing with someone that she shouldn't be anywhere near," Vera said. "Other, unworthy women have been joining the Amazons, and they all know magic. It's been giving them power and pull, even over the most senior Amazons"

Vera opened her mouth to say more, but the door opened. Annabeth whipped her hat back on. She disappeared from sight, and Vera glanced in her direction. The Amazon looked back a the door and spoke, "What do you want?"

"We have to go," a woman said. She grabbed Vera's arm and pulled her out of the room. "I am not going to get yelled at for being late again because you wanted to lock yourself up in your room. Come on. Now."

Annabeth followed behind the two Amazons and hurried back to the lobby. She didn't run into anymore Amazons along the way. In fact, it was like they had disappeared. Annabeth made it back to the lobby, which seemed to be completely void of Amazons. Sarah was leaning on a wall.

"They all just kind of walked away," Sarah began, and she walked towards the daughter of Athena. Annabeth nodded and studied Sarah. Was it possible that her worries about the demititans betraying them were actually true? Annabeth looked around the lobby. "Did you get it?"

"I overheard them talking about attacking the demititans. It sounds like a full assault," Annabeth answered. Sarah's eyes widened, and she looked around. Annabeth studied the demititan. Her eyes also glanced around. Where had the Amazons gone?

"W need to go," Sarah said. "This is bad. This is really bad. We have to go right now and let Alex know. She can get everyone in a defensive position. Maybe, we can talk to the Amazons and work something out."

"Unfortunately demititan, we are not going to work anything out," Hylla said. Annabeth turned and saw Hylla leaning on the wall. It looked like she had been just around the corner listening to them. Sarah glanced at Annabeth and took a step forward.

"Queen Hylla, we can talk this over," Sarah began. She ran a hand through her hair and rubbed her shoulder. "We don't have to go to war. Demititans and Amazons do not have to be enemies. We can be allies."

Hylla chuckled with a smirk. She rested her hand on her belt. Sarah was still rubbing her shoulder. Hylla spoke, "I'm going to kill you demititan. Then, I'm going to kill your girlfriend and all of the other demititans."

The hand that was Sarah was using to rub her shoulder instantly grabbed an arrow. Her bow appeared in her other hand. The arrow was fired a second later. Hylla simply caught the arrow and smirked. She threw a knife right at Sarah.

Sarah gasped in pain and stumbled backwards. She stared down at the knife buried in her chest. Annabeth stepped in front of Sarah and raised her sword. Hylla smirked and casually grabbed another knife.

Annabeth heard Sarah cry out, and she felt someone place a sword to her throat. The daughter of Athena moved her eyes down and didn't dare move her head. She moved her eyes to look at Hylla. The queen of the Amazons only smirked.

"Have you met my friend?" Hylla wondered. She walked towards them. "Well, I know you have. The two of us have been working hard to rebuild our groups and protect our friends."

Annabeth's eyes widened. There was no way Hylla could be talking about who Annabeth thought she was talking about. The daughter of Athena felt the person shove her forward. She turned and stared at the person who had placed a sword to her throat. Annabeth spoke, "Thalia."


	17. The Iris Message

**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter. I do have a few more surprises up my sleeve.**

* * *

Reyna slowly opened her eyes. She had no clue how long she had been asleep. It could have been five minutes or a hour. The daughter of Bellona slowly rolled onto her back.

Emotional pain was worse than physical pain. She had been tormenting herself with thoughts about Hylla and her motives. It had consumed her thoughts. Despair took over for awhile. Now, all Reyna felt was anger.

The physical pain was a welcome relief from the dark thoughts she was having. The ache in her ribs had reduced slightly. It still hurt to breath, but it was bearable. One hand moved to her side. She was surprised to feel her fingers brush something hard.

Reyna picked up the object and looked at it. To her surprise, it was a sword. The sheathe was black. The hilt was the same color.

The daughter of Bellona saw a symbol carved into the handle. It was a sword crossed with a torch. That was the symbol of her mother.

Reyna unsheathed the sword. Her breath caught in her throat. The blade was a crimson red. There was words carved into it: a_ut vincere aut mori._

"Conquer or die," Reyna whispered to herself. She sat up and put a hand to her ribs. Something about the sword unsettled her. It wasn't the normal kind of weapon that someone would take into battle. Whoever wielded it would be spotted instantly.

The sword had a name carved into the hilt. Ultionem. It was an odd thing to name a sword revenge. There was no doubt about what the intent of the sword was.

The only explanation for the sudden appearance of the sword was her mother. It had to have come from her. Was it a late birthday gift? It also could have served as a warning.

Reyna sighed and slowly stood. She tossed the sword on her bed. The door opening caught her attention.

"Reyna, they need you," Piper gasped.

"What's going on?" Reyna asked moving to her side.

"There is an Iris message. Just come," Piper said trying to catch her breath. Reyna followed her without another word. What had gone wrong?

The two demigods walked down a long hall. Piper suddenly turned into a room. Reyna followed.

"What do you want?" Alex demanded as she looked at an Iris message. She was the only one in the room.

"World domination for one," Hylla answered. Reyna felt anger tear through her chest. It was the only emotion she felt. She stalked towards the Iris message. Hylla lost her smirk when her sister entered her view.

Reyna looked at the Iris message. She could see a tied up Annabeth in the background. Someone stood next to her. Was that Thalia Grace?

She should have known. Hylla had talked about how her and Thalia were closely involved in the rebuilding of the Amazons and Hunters. It should have been clear that the two were working together.

"What do you want?" Reyna asked.

"You and Piper. We want you two to meet us," Hylla replied.

"Where?" Reyna demanded crossing her arms.

"Somewhere nice. Maybe, we can go to the park that is not far from here," Hylla answered. Reyna glared at her.

"Why?" Reyna asked. She didn't receive a response. A cruel smile suddenly touched her lips. "If we do see each other at the park dear sister, I am going to kill you."

Everyone seemed shocked by that statement. Reyna felt a small amount of grim satisfaction. She turned towards Alex and spoke, "Bring me the piece of the blade."

Alex hesitated before walking out of the room. Reyna looked back at her sister. Hylla stared her down as if trying to see how serious she was.

It was hard to keep her anger in check. She had no clue why Hylla or Thalia had betrayed them. At the moment, it didn't matter. She just needed to get Annabeth out of there safely.

"Do you know what was in the box?" Reyna questioned as she leaned on the table. She stared directly at Hylla and smirked again. "I do. I opened it during our fight."

"You're lying," Hylla said. "No one knows what is the box. I was told that only a special person could open it."

"I've heard the same," Reyna said. She heard Alex step back in. Reyna grabbed the blade and held it up so Hylla could see. "Do you know who this belongs to?"

"It belongs to Kronos. Gaea wanted it reformed, so she could destroy the Olympians one by one," Thalia answered. Reyna did her best to hide her surprise.

"If you think a broken blade is going to scare me, I'm going to have to disappoint you," Hylla sneered.

"Let Annabeth go or else," Reyna warned.

"What are you going to do?" Hylla demanded. She picked up a knife and twirled it in her fingers. Without warning, she threw it at Annabeth's head. It missed by an inch. The daughter of Athena managed not to flinch.

Thalia tensed. She shot Hylla a warning look. Reyna hesitated. There was a chance she could exploit this, or she would have to continue with her trying to psych her sister out.

"Hylla, do you know what you have done?" Piper interrupted. "I could sense that Reyna's emotions were everywhere. Now, they're just broken. You caused her to snap."

"That may not seem so bad, but Reyna is a Roman. Her mission is to get the shield back. You know where the shield is. She will do everything in her power to take it from you," Piper warned.

"I doubt it," Hylla said. She didn't look as sure as she had before.

"Find out," Reyna dared. The two sisters glared at each other. Hylla was the first one to break eye contact.

"What about you, demititan?" Hylla asked Alex. "Are you going to allow your girlfriend to be killed? She's already bleeding out."

"We all have sacrifices to make," Alex answered. She met Hylla's eyes. "I am not going to be intimidated by the thought of losing Sarah. You presume that I care about her enough to endanger everything else. You are wrong."

"That's pretty cold," Hylla commented.

"We want to have this meeting," Thalia interjected. "We will meet at the park in a hour. The three of you will come alone, or we will kill Annabeth and Sarah. Understood?"

"No deal," Alex said.

"Wait," Piper said. "We'll have this meeting if you two agree to come alone."

Hylla and Thalia glanced at each other. They seemed to have a silent debate. Hylla finally shook her head. It was Thalia who spoke, "We will bring one more so that our numbers are even. Deal?"

"It is," Reyna said.

"Only if you swear on the River Styx," Piper added.

"Same for you," Hylla countered. Piper was the first one to swear that they would come alone. Reyna was the second.

Thalia and Hylla glanced at each other before swearing on the River Styx to bring no one else besides their third person. Alex muttered a curse before also swearing on the River Styx.

"I look forward to see you sister," Hylla said.

"I can't wait to kick your ass," Reyna said. She ran a hand through the Iris message and took a shaky breath. "We should get ready to go."

"Could you really kill your sister if it came down to it?" Alex questioned.

"No," Reyna admitted. She took a deep and sad breath. It caused pain to spike through her ribs. She relished it. It was nice to feel something besides anger.

"Hylla needs to think that I am unstable. Hopefully, it will affect how she acts," Reyna continued. "We just need to get Annabeth and Sarah out of there safely."

"Get ready to go," Alex ordered. Reyna walked out without another word. She was focused on what needed to be done. It didn't matter what the cost was.


	18. The Puppet Master

**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.  
**

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Piper awkwardly shifted in her armor. The demititans had kindly allowed her to borrow it with the promise that she would return it. Their blacksmith had regarded her distastefully when she mentioned that she was a daughter of Aphrodite. He almost seemed reluctant to hand the armor over. Reyna had given him a look of such anger that he didn't hesitate after that.

Reyna was dressed in her own repaired armor. One hand fixed her cloak. The other moved to her new sword. Piper had only seen it unsheathed once. It scared her a little.

"Where are they?" Alex growled. She was pacing back and forth. Despite her earlier words, she was obviously deeply worried for Sarah.

"They want us to squirm," Reyna commented. She looked up at the sky as raindrops started to fall. "How many days has it been raining?"

"Too many," Alex answered with a grunt. She placed a hand to the sword at her side. There was also one strapped across her back. Numerous daggers were attached to her belt. The demititan was ready for a fight.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention. Piper turned towards the sound and saw two figures in the shadows. One shoved Annabeth into the clearing.

Annabeth stumbled and fell to her knees. She looked no worse than when Piper had seen her. Annabeth's arms were tied behind her back, and a gag was in her mouth. Her eyes seemed to be warning them.

Hylla stepped out of the shadows and threw Sarah to the ground. Sarah was unconscious. Her face was pale. Blood covered her shirt, but there was no sign of the dagger. Their weapons were thrown next to them.

"Where is your third person?" Alex demanded.

"It doesn't matter," Hylla answered. She walked towards Reyna. "Sister, we need to talk."

Reyna glanced at Piper and nodded. She tackled her sister to the ground. Hylla cursed as the two struggled with each other.

Alex threw a dagger at Thalia. The daughter of Zeus easily blocked it with her shield. Alex wasted no time in attacking her.

Piper moved to Annabeth, cut her bonds, and took the gag off. The daughter of Athena gave her a grateful look. This had been their plan all along. It was made easier by the fact that the third person had not shown up.

"Stop," a woman commanded. Her voice cut through the clearing. Everyone seemed to freeze mid movement. Piper thought it was from the surprise of hearing someone suddenly speak. The look of horror on Reyna's face said differently.

"Everyone just calm down," the woman commanded as she stepped out of the shadows. She wore a shawl that covered her face. Her voice radiated power. It was familiar to Piper. It was also laced with charmspeak.

"Circe," Reyna whispered. She quickly got to her feet and grabbed her sword. The praetor glanced at Hylla. "You're working with her?"

"Reyna, that is no way to greet your old friend and the person who mentored you," Circe said with a cruel smile.

"You just need to give me time to explain," Hylla said quickly standing. Reyna turned towards her and held her sword out defensively. The queen of the Amazons stiffened.

"There is much you do not understand. I just want to have a civilized chat," Circe said.

"You can take your chat and shove it up your ass," Reyna spat. Piper looked at her in surprise. She had never seen Reyna act like that.

"I was afraid it would come to that," Circe said sadly. "Hylla, I will abide by our deal. Will you play your part?"

"Of course," Hylla answered. She turned towards Alex. "I need all the information about you and your group. We can do this the easy way or hard way."

"Run," Annabeth said to Alex. The demititan took a step back looking unsure. She finally cursed and ran away.

"Let's go," Thalia said as she took off after Alex. Hylla followed the two.

"They could of just gotten the information from Sarah," Piper whispered.

"I know," Annabeth responded. She picked up her sword and walked towards Circe. Piper slowly followed.

"Do you think that you three scare me?" Circe questioned. Her voice was crueler than before. She looked directly at Reyna. "I can't wait to beat the disrespectfulness out of you."

"Try it," Reyna challenged. Circe smiled cruelly.

"Annabeth, you like history," Circe began. Her voice had a faint amount of charmspeak in it. "You know that Romans loved their gladiators. Greeks loved their fighting as well. What do you say we recreate that right now?"

"No," Piper interrupted.

"Do not talk," Circe hissed. Piper tried to open her mouth and speak. No words came out. "You think that your charmspeak can stand up to mine? You are nothing."

"Leave her alone," Reyna snapped. She went to attack Circe. The witch turned and dodged the sword with ease.

"Drop your sword," Circe commanded. Her voice was full of charmspeak. Reyna looked like she was trying to fight it. "Drop it, demigod."

Reyna dropped the sword with a cloudy look in her eyes. Circe smiled and turned towards Annabeth. The witch spoke, "I want you two to fight."

Piper wanted to protest. This had happened to her twice before. She didn't know if she could counteracts Circe's charmspeak.

"No," Annabeth protested quickly backing away.

"You and Reyna are going to fight. It will be a Greek against a Roman. Just like the good old days." Circe said. Her voice was overpowering. Annabeth gripped her sword and looked at Reyna.

The two glared at each other. Reyna picked up her sword and gripped it. Annabeth walked towards her. The two circled each other.

Piper could not let them fight. She tried to will herself to speak. Nothing happening. Circe gave her a knowing smile. Piper looked around for something that would help her.

The sound of swords clashing caught her attention. Annabeth crossed swords with Reyna. The two backed away and attacked again. Reyna suddenly disarmed Annabeth. She made it look easy.

A cry built in Piper's throat as Reyna stabbed forward at Annabeth. At the last moment, Annabeth dodged. She scooped sand up from the ground and threw it at Reyna's eyes. It was a dirty tactic, but it allowed Annabeth to pick up her sword.

There was no way she could allow her friends to kill each other. Piper took a deep breath and channeled all of her emotion. She spoke quickly, "You two need to stop. Don't listen to Circe!"

"Are you going to challenge me?" Circe asked. Piper unsheathed her sword. The witch glared. "You cannot stand up to me girl."

"I"m about to," Piper promised. She looked at Reyna who was blinking quickly as she tried to get the sand out. "Reyna, you can't listen to her. You hate her. She caused your sister to attack and injure you."

"Don't listen to her," Circe snapped. Reyna looked confused and conflicted.

"Reyna, you have to trust me," Piper said putting all of her charmspeak into her voice.

"Shut up," Reyna snapped. She dropped her sword and backed away from the fight. Annabeth was still under the effects of Circe's charmspeak. She advanced on the praetor.

"Annabeth, you need to put your weapon down," Piper called. She knew it was hopeless. There was no way she could hope to match Circe's charmspeak. Annabeth suddenly backed away. Her eyes looked focused.

Hylla stepped back into the clearing. She looked around and immediately moved to Circe's side. The witch snarled in anger.

"I want your sister. The other two are expendable," Circe said. It sounded like she was using all of the charmspeak that she could muster. For some reason, it wasn't as much as before. Hylla nodded with a dazed look.

"Go," Reyna snapped at Piper and Annabeth.

"No," Piper argued. Reyna gave them an angry look. She dropped her sword and raised her arms above her head. Why was she surrendering?

"Let's go," Annabeth whispered. She picked the unconscious Sarah up over her shoulder and started to walk away.

Circe and Hylla had all of their focus on Reyna. The praetor dropped to her knees and kept her arms above her head. What was she doing?

"We can't leave her," Piper argued.

"Circe won't kill her," Annabeth promised in a quiet voice. "I know that Circe is involved with the shield. Reyna will be able to figure out where it is and tell us."

Piper wanted to protest. She found her voice was gone just as it had been when Circe charmspeaked her. With shame weighing her down, Piper turned and walked away from her friend.


	19. The Soothsayer

Reyna slowly looked around the room that she was sitting in. One hand was strapped to the metal table. Her palm was facing up. She had been sitting there ever since she was dragged in from the park.

The praetor muttered curses in three different languages. Her emotions were muddled. It was hard to focus on one thing. Every thought went back to Hylla.

Why would Hylla work for the witch? There was no reason that she would need to. How was Circe involved with the shield? The witch wouldn't need the shield for herself. She wouldn't be able to steal it either.

Reyna closed her eyes. Surrendering had been one of the hardest things that she had ever done. There was no way that she could allow Annabeth and Piper to be injured. Hopefully, she could also find out more about the shield.

As was her ritual, Reyna tried jerking her arm out of the restraint. Her wrist ached in protest. She cursed and tried it again. It wouldn't give.

Her mind started to replay the events of the entire quest. She was left with many questions and no answers. Athena had said that the shield was a distraction for something more. What could it be?

Reyna sat forward. She laid her face on the cool table. Circe didn't have many allies. There didn't seem to be any reason that she would want the shield, but Reyna knew that Circe was involved.

The door opened. Reyna sat up and turned her head. She wasn't surprised to see Thalia and Hylla. They both look tired. Anger filled Reyna's chest.

Thalia had a new cut on her face. Reyna knew that Hylla and Thalia had stopped Alex, but she suspected that the demititan got away. Hylla knelt in front of her.

"How do you feel?" Hylla asked. She gently placed a hand to Reyna's ribs. Reyna recoiled at the touch. "Your ribs don't feel that badly broken."

Reyna didn't answer. She stared at her tattoo. Hylla sighed and stood. The door opened once again. A humming filled the air.

"I have a special guest. I need you on your best behavior," Circe said. She moved right next to Reyna. The praetor spat at her feet. "You are such a disrespectful child."

"I can say plenty of things about you," Reyna snapped. There was something about Circe that caused her to lose her temper. Circe grabbed Reyna by her jaw and forced her to look up.

"Your sister and I have a special agreement. I don't want to violate it, but you are testing my patience," Circe said tensely.

"What kind of agreement?" Reyna asked. The door opened before she received an answer. Circe let go of her jaw. She turned and smiled. Reyna turned to see a woman walk in.

The woman had a shawl covering her face. She was wearing a cloak. Her skin was the color of chocolate. The woman sat across from Reyna.

"This is the one whose fortune I am going to read?" the woman questioned.

"You took me here to get my fortune told?" Reyna asked. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

"You should be honored. Only those who are special get this," Circe spat.

"Relax," the woman commanded, She grabbed Reyna's restrained hand and examined her palm. It seemed ridiculous that Circe would waste all of this effort on a fortune teller.

"What do you see?" Circe asked.

"In the past, rogues meant to push the gambit over the edge. A party with a dark shadow cast over it. An attack with more intentions than death," the soothsayer answered. Reyna stared for a few moments in confusion.

"What else?" Circe prompted.

"It is muddled," the soothsayer muttered. She grabbed Reyna's jaw with one hand and looked into her eyes. The eyes of the soothsayer were light green. They seemed to pierce Reyna's soul.

"I see the gauntlet being thrown down. It is picked up by the master of the thieves. No. She is just a pawn in the game," the soothsayer continued.

"What game?" Reyna demanded.

"You would do good to be silent," Circe warned.

"I see a great betrayal. _Et tu. Et tu. Et tu, Brute," _the soothsayer said starting to shake. She let go of Reyna's jaw but kept staring into her eyes.

"You too, Brutus," Reyna translated. Those were the last words that Julius Caesar had spoken before his assassins finished their job. A chill ran down her spine.

"You are fateless, yet you are full of it," the soothsayer whispered in Latin. Reyna just stared. Without any reason, panic started to set in.

"We grow scared when we get closer to learning our fate," Circe warned.

"There is more. The wrath of the sky is near. No, it is here. The storms are the cause. You are the cause," the soothsayer said. She gripped Reyna's hand.

"_Et Tu_," the soothsayer continued. "A betrayal is near. I warned Caesar of a similar fate."

Those were the words that sent Reyna over the edge. She tried to jerk her hand out of the restraint. This soothsayer was older than she had any right to be. There was a special reason that Circe had brought her. The panic attack started to get worse.

Circe grabbed Reyna's head and forced it back. She placed a knife to her exposed throat. The witch spoke, "You need to relax or else."

"There is more," the soothsayer whispered. Reyna felt the fortune teller grab her unrestrained hand and move it so her palm was facing up. She heard the sound of a knife being drawn. Before Reyna could react, the soothsayer stabbed the knife in her arm.

The soothsayer slowly dragged her knife down Reyna's arm. Reyna didn't dare jerk her arm away. It would only cause more damage.

"What are you doing?" Reyna demanded. She could barely keep back a cry of pain.

"Yes. You are the one. I can see it," the soothsayer whispered.

"The one for what," Reyna demanded. Panic overcame instinct. She tried once again to jerk her arm out of the restraint. "Why are you here? What is going on?"

"Will she disrupt our plans? Is it going to truly happen?" Circe demanded.

"It began with the Titan of time, and it should have ended with mother Earth. The cycle is the key. The cycle will continue. No, It won't. Perhaps, you will decide," the soothsayer muttered.

"No, that would be one without fate, but you are. Yet, you are not. I see in the blood. Do you see it witch?" the soothsayer questioned. She pressed her fingers into the cut on Reyna's arm.

Reyna cried out and tensed in her seat. To her surprise, it was Hylla who grabbed the soothsayer's arm. Hylla muttered a curse in Spanish and spoke, "What are you doing to her?"

"In the blood, that is where the answer is," the soothsayer responded. She looked Reyna in the eyes. "It is always in the blood."

"We're done here," Hylla spat. She shoved the soothsayer away and undid Reyna's restraints. The praetor instantly pressed her bloody arm against her shirt. Her throbbing wrist stayed on the table.

"You can take care of her. We are going to take her to the temple with us," Circe said. She led the soothsayer out.

"Why are you two working with her?" Reyna demanded.

"Don't talk," Hylla begged. She grabbed Reyna's arm gently. She looked at the long, jagged cut on her sister's arm.

"I'll get towels," Thalia offered. She walked out. Reyna looked away from her sister and stared at a wall. It was hard to get rid of the panic. The soothsayer had shaken her to the core.

The two daughters of Bellona sat in silence for a few moments. Reyna was trying to keep her emotions under control. Hylla looked worried.

"Why are you working with her?" Reyna demanded.

"I'm protecting you from your fate," Hylla answered.

"How exactly is this protecting me? Is it like the one time you ignored mother when she wanted us to leave Circe's island?" Reyna asked. She felt all of her anger starting to take over. At the moment, she didn't care what she said.

"I did what I had to do," Hylla argued.

"Circe is charmspeaking you," Reyna spat. She shoved her sister away and cradled her bloody arm. Thalia stepped back in with towels and medical supplies.

Hylla grabbed Reyna's injured arm roughly. She wiped away the blood and made sure it stopped bleeding. The queen of the Amazons quietly stitched up Reyna's arm.

Reyna gritted her teeth. She refused to show anymore pain or emotion. A hand gently grabbed onto her jaw. Reyna was forced to meet her sister's eyes.

"I know you don't understand why I did this, but I have my reasons. You just need to trust me," Hylla whispered.

"You're working with Circe," Reyna muttered trying to look away.

"For you," Hylla whispered. She switched to Spanish. "We are going to our mother's temple in Death Valley. Only the bravest of warriors traveled there for her blessing."

"Why are you working with her?" Reyna demanded in English. She refused to let the subject die. Hylla went to answer, but she looked unsure.

"We knew that the Amazons and Hunters were not steady after the situation with Orion. The feelings heightened after the rogues attacked you," Thalia answered.

Reyna bit back a curse. That had to be what the soothsayer was alluding to when she said rogues meant to push the gambit over the edge. The rogues were the Amazons that attacked her. What was the gambit though?

Could it be Hylla and Thalia? They could just be pawns to the witch. What would Circe gain? It didn't make any sense.

"Sister," Hylla said quickly. Reyna looked up to see concern in Hylla's eyes. "You can't pass out on me."

"I'm fine," Reyna protested. The only problem was that it was hard to talk. Everything was starting to get dimmer.

"She lost a lot of blood," Thalia noted reaching into her pocket. She frowned and hurried out. Reyna frowned in confusion.

"Stay awake," Hylla ordered. Reyna slowly looked around. She saw a large amount of blood covering the table. Was that all her blood?

Another glance at the table showed that the dagger was still on it. Thalia was gone for the moment. Hylla was distracted. If Reyna could muster enough strength, she could stab her sister in the shoulder. It would give her enough time to get away.

Reyna slowly lifted her arm that had the long cut. She went to clench her fist. Fear tore through her as she couldn't properly clench her fist. The soothsayer had done a large amount of damage to her sword arm.

"We're going to get you some ambrosia and nectar," Hylla promised. She made Reyna look at her. "You need to stop fighting Circe. I don't want her to hurt you anymore."

Reyna didn't respond. She just lowered her eyes. Hylla hugged her suddenly and rubbed her back. Despite her anger, Reyna laid her head on Hylla's shoulder. Even though she tried to stay conscious, she slowly passed out.


	20. The Destination

**I hope everyone enjoys a late night update.**

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Annabeth sat on the bed and looked at the ground. She had no clue if Reyna could get them a message. They had taken a gigantic risk. It had to pay off.

"Alex is missing, and Sarah is unconscious. There is nothing we can do but wait," Oliver argued. He was stitching up Sarah's wound. She had yet to stir.

"You're pathetic," Thorn snapped. He looked outraged. "The Amazons and Hunters attacked two of our own. They attacked our allies. There is only one solution."

"We left her behind," Piper whispered. She stared at the ground. "We didn't have to do that."

"It was a calculated risk," Annabeth argued.

"Do you just want to call in the entire army and attack?" Oliver demanded. "It would be suicide!"

"Would you rather hide like a coward instead of dying like a man?" Thorn countered. He glared at Oliver. The two demititans seemed to be falling apart.

Annabeth looked down. She pulled the tablet out of her jacket. There was no telling if she would find any useful information on it. The door opening caught her attention.

Alex stepped in breathing heavily. She was soaking wet. Her attention immediately went to Sarah. Alex spoke, "How is she?"

"She lost a lot of blood," Oliver answered.

"How did you get away?" Annabeth asked.

"The two caught me a quarter of a mile away from where you three were. The queen of the Amazons returned to Circe to report their success. I feigned weakness, and the other fell for it. I was able to shove her away and take off running," Alex answered.

"Were you followed?" Thorn questioned.

"No," Alex replied. She looked at Annabeth. "What happened?"

Annabeth explained what had happened to them. Piper filled in the details of when Annabeth was under Circe's charmspeak. Alex rubbed her temples.

"It is time to treat you like allies," Alex said leaning back. She grabbed Sarah's hand. "You can ask anything you want, and I will answer."

"What do you really know about Kronos' sword?" Annabeth asked.

"I had no clue that it was in the box. I knew that the sword was being reforged by Gaea. We were sent on a mission to stop it from being reformed," Alex answered.

"Who sent you?" Annabeth questioned.

"Rhea. She was also the one who gave us the box," Thorn replied. "We managed to find the forge a few days before Gaea came back. There was only a binder that needed to be added. There was five pieces that were just lying there."

"The five places you saw in your dream," Piper said to Annabeth. "That has to be where the pieces are."

"Which means we have three pieces. Who has the other two?" Annabeth asked herself.

"I thought the pieces were destroyed when we destroyed the forge. It literally exploded in our faces," Alex added. She looked at Sarah worriedly.

"We are wasting our time talking," Oliver interrupted. "What are we going to do?"

"I am going to find where the shield is," Annabeth answered. She looked at the tablet and scrolled through it. There was mostly messages that were sent out to all of the Amazons. Nothing pertained to the shield.

A pattern was starting to form. There was emails about supplies being sent to California. Most of them were going to a place called Ridgecrest. Annabeth reported her findings to the others.

"That's near Death Valley," Thorn noted.

"That decides it. We are going to send a message to the troops. We are going to find a city near Death Valley and Ridgecrest. That is our meeting point," Alex said.

"We need a vote," Oliver argued.

"We don't," Alex promised.

"That is the rules. We always vote on what to do. I cast my vote as a no. We have no clue what we are walking into to," Oliver explained.

"My vote is a yes," Alex said crossing her arms. Thorn watched the two.

"I am going to withhold my vote until Sarah is awake. We are going to discuss it," Thorn said. Alex shook her head and cursed.

"Do you want to go?" Annabeth asked Piper.

"I'm not sure if that is where the shield is," Piper began.

"It's there," Annabeth promised. She was absolutely sure of it. If she was wrong, they were screwed. "We don't have much time left."

"I'm in," Piper decided. She turned to look at the demititans. "We can't wait much longer. We're going with or without you."

"I can help you get supplies," Thorn offered as he stood. He motioned for the two demigods to follow. They did so without hesitation.

"There's more you wanted to talk about," Annabeth guessed.

"We have a traitor in our midst," Thorn whispered. He led the two away. "I suspect that it is Alex. She has been sending a large amount of messages to somoeone."

"What are you going to do about it?" Piper asked.

"Nothing," Thorn answered. "We just have to follow the plan of whoever she works for. I want to send you two ahead though."

Annabeth nodded and glanced at Piper. They seemed to share the same feeling that they could only rely on each other. Piper spoke, "We can send back a report when we get there."

"You don't need to bother. I will just contact you with our decision," Thorn said. "I don't want to send the army to California, but I can't have you two alone against the Amazons and Hunters."

"Thank you," Annabeth said. Thorn nodded and led them to a room. He quickly grabbed two backpacks off of the wall. He gave one to Piper and the other to Annabeth.

"I have one more thing," Thorn said. He grabbed a piece of cloth that was in the corner of the room. When he unveiled it, Annabeth saw that it was the piece of Kronos' blade.

"We'll take care of it," Annabeth swore. Thorn nodded. The two demigods looked at each other and walked away.


	21. The Witch

Reyna was really surprised to wake up on an airplane. She wasn't surprised to find that her wrists were handcuffed. The daughter of Bellona slowly lifted her hands. She tried to clench her fist. It was impossible to make a fist.

A small amount of fear shot through her. There was no way this could be happening. She needed to be able to grasp a sword. Reyna took a deep breath and examined her surroundings.

There was numerous voices all around her. It belonged to random Amazons and Hunters. There was no way Reyna could break out. She laid her head back in the seat. Someone sat next to her.

"Hey," Vera greeted. Reyna looked at her in surprise. "Do you know how much groveling I needed to do to get this assignment?"

"Why?" Reyna asked.

"I'm sick and tired of that witch. I just met her, and she is already annoying me with her pompousness. Anyway, Queen Hylla hasn't been the same for a long time," Vera answered.

"That's because you and the rogue Amazons attacked me. I'm guessing that caused Hylla to go to Circe for help," Reyna said.

"Doris was hesitant to attack you. She had a secret meeting with someone and decided that it was time. I wonder who it was," Vera said with a pointed look.

"Great," Reyna muttered.

"What's your plan?" Vera questioned as she looked around.

"I need to get a message to Annabeth or Piper," Reyna answered. "We are going to a temple in Death Valley. It belongs to my mother."

"Annabeth Chase? I'll deliver a message when we land. We never talked. Oh, Hylla still thinks that I hate your guts. Let's keep it that way," Vera added.

"Do you?" Reyna wondered.

"I do," Vera admitted.

"I am sorry," Reyna said. Vera looked at her for a few moments. She looked down and sighed sadly.

"You killed my sister. There is nothing you can say that will fix it," Vera said. She looked like she wanted to add more. The Amazon shook her head and stood. She walked away.

Reyna laid her head against the seat in front of her. Her eyes slowly closed. The ache in her ribs was still there. It was mostly dull. Her hand still couldn't make a fist though. It seemed like one injury was replaced by another.

The prophecy ran through her head. Who was the divine? Everything that she learned made it seem like her mother was involved. There was also some kind of curse. Maybe, it was her bad luck.

The reward being inflicted could be that they would finally get a break. The world would try not to get destroyed for once. Reyna took a deep breath and got rid of those dark thoughts.

"Sister," Hylla greeted. Reyna slowly looked up. She was surprised to see a tray of food. Hylla sat near her and put the tray down. "Hungry?"

Reyna looked away. She didn't want to admit that she was starving because it would be admitting weakness. This was her sister though.

"Yeah," Reyna finally admitted. Hylla handed her a plastic fork. Reyna gave her a look. Her sister winked and gave her a real fork. "I don't suppose you have the key."

"I don't," Hylla confirmed. She handed Reyna a bottle of water. Reyna drank it. She glanced at the handcuffs on her wrist.

"Why did Circe want me in the first place?" Reyna asked as she toyed with her food.

"Circe told me that you were going to die if I allowed you find the shield," Hylla answered.

"You believed her?" Reyna questioned with a raised eyebrow. She glanced at her sister.

"When she told me, she swore on the River Styx that it would happen," Hylla said. She sighed tiredly. "I don't want you to be mad at me sister, but I couldn't let you die."

"You're going to allow Mars to start a war," Reyna argued.

"No," Hylla said. "Annabeth and Piper will find the shield. You can't be there though."

"You're not making sense," Reyna argued.

"Reyna, something big is going down. Someone is about to attack the Olympians. They think you are a threat. If you find and return the shield, that line of thought is proven correct. I will not allow that to happen," Hylla explained.

Reyna looked down. Her sister was willing to sacrifice the world for her. Part of her was touched. The other was pissed.

"You're an idiot," Reyna said suddenly. She looked her sister in the eyes. "You know that I would make any sacrifice necessary to save my friends and the world."

"There lies your fatal flaw," Hylla commented. She gently placed her thumb to the scar on Reyna's eyebrow. Reyna had received it from one of the rogue Amazons. "You would sacrifice yourself for the world even if it wasn't a fair trade."

"One life for many is a fair trade," Reyna argued.

"It is not if you are the only one who can stop what is going to happen," Hylla countered.

"What is going to happen?" Reyna asked.

"I don't know," Hylla answered. Reyna went back to playing with her food. It tasted like dust. It seemed like her sister was her enemy now.

Reyna slowly lifted her injured hand. She tried to clench her fist. It refused to fully close. She felt sick. Hylla gently grabbed her hand.

"We gave you ambrosia and nectar. It did some good," Hylla commented. She closed Reyna's fist for her and held it in place.

"I can't fight like this," Reyna muttered.

"You won't need to fight," Hylla promised.

"How long have you been working with her?" Reyna questioned.

"I began talking with her before your party. It was nothing serious. The negotiations did turn serious the day after the rogues attacked you," Hylla answered. Reyna set her fork down and looked out the window. "Circe wants to speak with you."

"Fine," Reyna muttered. She stood and followed her sister down the aisle of the plan. Most of the Amazons and Hunters had fallen asleep. They stepped through a door into a private cabin.

Circe looked up and smiled. She motioned for Reyna to sit. The praetor silently complied. Hylla stood beside her. Circe dismissed her with a wave of her hand, and Hylla slowly left.

"I want to put that unpleasantness behind us," Circe began as she leaned forward. She studied Reyna. The praetor glanced around and saw her sword in the corner.

"Where are we going?" Reyna asked.

"That is a trivial matter," Circe answered. She grabbed two glasses and opened a bottle of wine. She filled the glasses halfway. "I know that you are under the legal age, but Hylla doesn't have to know."

"You're trying to win my loyalty by getting me drunk? That's something I didn't expect," Reyna commented. She stared at the wine distastefully.

"I'm trying to be friendly," Circe corrected. She grabbed one of the glasses and took a sip. "The soothsayer had much to say. I believe we can become allies."

"Why would I want to ally with you?" Reyna questioned.

"I know more than you believe demigod. Your sister and Thalia are nothing more than puppets to me. There is something big going down Reyna. There are not many people who know what is happening. Those that do will be dealt with," Circe explained.

"You're not helping your case," Reyna said. The witched smiled and took another sip of wine.

"Hylla told me that you opened the box. The same box that held a piece of Kronos' blade. I helped track a few pieces. The cycle must continue," Circe explained.

"Cycle?" Reyna asked.

"Oh, you do not know?" Circe taunted. She suddenly grabbed Reyna's necklace. Reyna grabbed her hand. "I do not know how you got this, but it does not belong to you."

"What's so important about it?" Reyna demanded.

"You can tell me how you got it," Circe said. Her voice was laced with charmspeak. "I know that you want to speak about your burdens. Lay them down with me."

Reyna looked away trying to ignore the charmspeak. It was a hard task. There was no way she could hold it off if Circe tried again. It was time for desperate actions.

Charmspeak only worked if the intended target could hear. Reyna swallowed painfully as she prepared for what she was about to do. As she moved her hand, Circe grabbed her handcuff.

"I admire that you are willing to destroy you eardrum to avoid being charmspeaked. Fortunately for you, I want you to suffer. When I am done with you, you are going to beg me for mercy," Circe promised.

"Hylla won't allow it," Reyna growled.

"You underestimate my power. I easily overpowered Piper's charmspeak until Hylla came back into the clearing. I made a spell that allows me to have Hylla and Thalia completely wrapped around my fingers. It is difficult to explain to a brute like you but know that I always have them under my charmspeak," Circe explained.

Reyna glared angrily. She felt Circe let go of her hands. The witch smiled cruelly and asked, "How do you want me to beat the information out of you?"

"What are my options?" Reyna questioned. She slowly grabbed the glass of wine and studied it.

"There are so many things that we can do. We can have fun with magic. I can have some Amazons or Hunters beat you down. It would be like the good old days of Rome when political opponents were beaten to death in the streets," Circe suggested.

"Those all sounds fun," Reyna commented adjusting her grip on the wine glass.

"I can also heal you, so we can continue the process over and over," Circe added.

"I have a better idea," Reyna said. She slammed the wine glass into Circe's face. Reyna stood and moved towards her sword. She tried to pick it up with her right hand.

Reyna found that she couldn't grab her sword properly. She cursed and switched her hand. The praetor turned towards Circe.

"You are going to pay," Circe spat. She stood angrily. Reyna unsheathed her sword. "What are you going to do? You are on a plane full of my subjects."

"I don't really care," Reyna spat. She kept her sword in front of her. "I just want answers. Why did you steal the shield?"

"A distraction. A gambit," Circe answered. Reyna attacked with her sword. A blast of energy slammed into her. It knocked her into the wall. Circe grabbed Reyna before she could stand.

"You want to play with fire?" Circe questioned. She slammed Reyna into the table. Fire appeared in her hands. Reyna tried to squirm out of the witch's grasp. "You are going to get burned demigod."

Reyna did her best to calm her breathing. The flames were a centimeter from her face. Circe tightened her grip on Reyna's shirt. A calming presence suddenly entered the room.

"Calm down," a woman ordered. The flames disappeared from Reyna's face. Circe turned.

"Rhea. I thought you were busy," Circe greeted. Reyna's eyes widened as she looked up.

"I heard a commotion. I see you found the demigod that took the vial from me," Rhea said. Reyna frowned. She had been given the vial by Rhea.

"I promised you that I would find it," Circe said.

"Can I have some time alone with the demigod who tried to foil our plans?" Rhea questioned. She had a cruel look on her face.

"Of course," Circe said. She smirked at Reyna and walked out.

"Stand demigod," Rhea commanded. She lost the cruelness from her eyes. In fact, she seemed tired. "We have much to discuss before the plane lands."


	22. The Acts of Desperate Men

**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.  
**

* * *

"You're working with Circe?" Reyna demanded. She took a step back.

"Against," Rhea corrected. "You always want your friends close and your enemies closer. Now, we must focus on the subject at hand. Can you clench your fist?"

"No," Reyna answered. She raised her right hand and slowly tried to make a fist. It was practically impossible. The daughter of Bellona grimaced. She could fight with her left hand, but it would nowhere as good as her right.

"How did this happen?" Rhea asked. She grabbed Reyna's hand and examined it. As quickly as she could, Reyna recounted meeting the soothsayer. "I want you to tell me everything that the soothsayer said."

Reyna took a deep breath and slowly repeated everything. She had done her best not to ponder the words. They just freaked her out more. When she finished her tale, she looked at Rhea and spoke, "What did the soothsayer mean?"

"Circe manipulated the rogue Amazons to attack you, so Hylla would feel insecure about the Amazons weakened position. The attack with more intentions than death was my fault. I needed to get you alone. Drakons were the best way," Rhea answered.

"The party was mine. I'm not sure what the dark shadow was," Reyna said. She crossed her arms and tried to remember the day. Everything about it was fuzzy because of the concussion she had at the time.

"I have a feeling about the gauntlet being thrown down. You will be the one who does this," Rhea explained.

"Who am I going to fight?" Reyna asked.

"The third betrayer," Rhea replied.

"Who is that?" Reyna questioned. Rhea didn't reply. "Of course, I shouldn't expect a straight answer on this stupid quest unless I am half way to the answer already."

Reyna's head snapped to the side as she was slapped hard. She stumbled back a few feet and looked up in shock. It surprised her to see the anger in Rhea's eyes.

"You are a Roman. Act like it," Rhea snapped. "We do not have time for your self pity or bitterness. You are going to play a big role. I want you to act like the leader you are going to have to be."

"Leader for what?" Reyna demanded. "Everyone keeps saying that something big is going down. They say that the shield is just a distraction. No will give me a straight answer!"

"The wrath of the sky," Rhea said suddenly. She motioned for Reyna to sit. The praetor didn't comply. "I am afraid you would lose your nerve if you knew."

"I won't," Reyna muttered. She crossed her arms. Her pride was wounded from being slapped and told how to act. It made her feel like a disobedient child.

"Then, I must tell you a story. I will be using Greek names for my sake," Rhea began.

"Why did you appear to me in your Greek form?" Reyna asked.

"I prefer it to my Roman one," Rhea replied. "Now, you are aware that Gaea and Ouranos were the first rulers of the world. They were on top of the world, but Ouranos was cruel. He had his children cast into Tartarus."

"Gaea was appalled at this. When she had the Titans, she tried to protect us from his wrath. This is where my husband comes in. Kronos was the only one who could stop his father. He used the scythe that Gaea made to destroy Ouranos," Rhea explained.

"Ouranos' remains were scattered across the world. His soul was sent to Tartarus. It was believed that he could never reform. As you should know, Kronos grew suspicious of a similar betrayal. He ate all of our children except for Zeus," Rhea continued.

"Zeus came back and chopped him into many pieces. It was the cycle that the soothsayer spoke of. When death was chained, something powerful stirred in Tartarus. No one suspected that it was Ouranos. We believed it was Gaea."

"You know of Atlas' curse? He must hold up the sky forever. This is for two reasons. The sky wants to meet the earth, and it will do anything in its power to. The second is that Zeus is not powerful enough to take all of the duties of Ouranos."

"When we realized that Gaea was rising, we never knew that Ouranos would follow. He wanted to be with his wife again. He would take months to rise after she did. When she was put back to sleep, his mission turned from one of love to vengeance," Rhea finished.

"The stories say that Ouranos is never able to return. They can't be wrong," Reyna argued.

"I do not know how he has accomplished it. I do know that you are his number one target," Rhea said. Reyna turned to stare at her. She received a sad smile. "He knows how powerful you are."

"I only delivered the statue to Camp Half-Blood," Reyna said in shock. "I don't have charmspeak like Piper. I don't have the knowledge of Annabeth. Percy and Jason have powers that I don't. Why target me?"

"You killed a giant without a god or goddess physically being there. You are the first Roman to win the respect and even a gift from a Greek deity. It is even more impressive when you consider that the Olympian was Athena who hates most Romans. You were named horse friend. There is also the fact of what you will accomplish," Rhea replied.

"Circe fears you," Rhea added. Reyna looked up in surprise. "She only knows bits and pieces to the puzzle. It scares her. You scare her."

"Is that why she targeted my sister?" Reyna wondered. "How has she done it?"

"Circe's spell is a complicated one. It allows Hylla and Thalia to think on their own until they are in Circe's presence. They are not aware of what they are doing. It must cost the witch an enormous amount of energy," Rhea responded.

Reyna took a deep breath and sat down. It was too much to take in. She had a feeling they weren't done talking yet. She spoke, "What does this have to do with Mars' shield?"

"If you fail to deliver the shield, there will be a war. Athena, if her calculations are correct, predicts that Ouranos will rise a few days after the deadline," Rhea explained.

"How do I stop him?" Reyna asked. The thought frightened her. She had to do something though.

"It is not your job to stop him from rising," Rhea promised. "The Olympians are the only ones that can. Ouranos wants to divide that camps and Olympians, so he can come back in peace."

"We cannot fail then. It would doom Olympus," Reyna guessed. She reached her right hand out to the bottle of wine. When she tried to grab it, she couldn't grasp onto it. "Will I regain the full use of my hand?"

Rhea didn't answer. Reyna glared and allowed her anger to take over. She knocked the bottle of wine off of the table in disgust.

"How am I suppose to stand against Circe?" Reyna muttered. She placed her head in her hands. Despair was starting to take over.

"You use her fear of you against her," Rhea whispered. She placed something on the table. Reyna slowly looked up to see a ring on the table. "This will allow you to resist the charmspeak. It comes with a catch."

"If you wear this ring, it will mark you as my champion. Some demigods may turn against you. Powerful monsters may want to attack you. The choice is yours," Rhea explained. She looked away.

"Some of the gods or goddesses might turn against you. One of them may be your mother," Rhea warned. She was silent after that.

Reyna examined the ring for a long time. It was made of gold. There was some kind of writing on the ring. Reyna closed her eyes and put the ring on. This was the second gift Rhea had given her.

"What is the vial for?" Reyna asked. Before she received an answer, the door opened. Reyna stood and turned. Hylla looked at them.

"I'm here to retrieve my sister," Hylla said. She seemed to be studying Reyna for injuries.

"We are not done speaking of her punishment," Rhea said. The cruelness was back in her voice.

"I don't care," Hylla growled. "Circe says the meeting is over. She wanted you to discuss plans with her. Let's go Reyna."

"Fear can be abated if one holds an advantage," Rhea warned. Reyna stared in confusion as she was led out of the room. The realization hit her when she saw Circe nod to Hylla.

Hylla was the advantage Circe had. The witch thought she could control Reyna's behavior by threatening to hurt her sister. It would take something drastic to change that.

Reyna glanced at her sister. There was a knife on her belt. After taking a deep breath, Reyna grabbed the knife. She stabbed Hylla in the stomach and shoved her away.

"What are you doing?" Circe demanded. She grabbed Reyna and turned her around. "You are going to pay for that."

"Bring it," Reyna said with a smirk. She glanced back at Hylla. Her sister slowly pulled the knife out. Hylla looked shocked and was trying to hide her pain.

"You disrespectful little worm," Circe spat.

"Are you going to punish her?" Rhea asked from behind them. She gave Reyna a small, approving nod. "Or, are you going to be a coward?"

"I am not a coward," Circe said in a low voice. "You are going to pay for that Reyna. I swear it."

"Do you think anything you can do will hurt me?" Reyna demanded. She glared at the witch. Circe suddenly smiled.

"Me? No. Your sister is a different story," Circe said. Reyna turned towards her sister. Hylla punched her directly in the face. Reyna fell back in surprise.

"Circe was right about you," Hylla spat. She kicked Reyna hard in the ribs. The world went dark for a few moments.

"We told you that she never cared for you," Rhea said. Reyna looked up in a pain filled hazed. Had the Titaness tricked her?

"I should have listened," Hylla muttered. She put a hand to her wound and turned away.

"I told you that Hylla could not be used as a bargaining chip," Rhea said. "You will have to find a new way to harm the praetor."

"There are many ways that I can think of," Circe said. "For now, I want this demigod out of my sight. She will be dealt with at the temple."

Reyna groaned as Hylla pulled her to her feet. She was shoved back into the private cabin. As Reyna stumbled, Hylla kicked her hard in the chest. The queen of the Amazons angrily spoke, "They told me that I couldn't trust you and that you were the one who stole the shield."

"I guess they were right," Hylla muttered. She slammed the door shut. Reyna slowly rolled onto her back. A few moments were spent in agony. The praetor placed a hand to her ribs.

Reyna glanced around and saw her sword. It would be hard, but she could hide it in her jacket. There was no doubt that she would need it. Reyna slowly stood and walked towards her sword.

The daughter of Bellona grabbed the sword. She stared at it for a few moments. The name finally made sense. She would use it to get revenge on Circe for what she did to Hylla and Thalia. Reyna smiled, sat down, and prepared for what was next.


	23. The Lies of Honest Men

**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.**

**This is a shorter but necessary chapter. We are starting to wind down. I plan on having around five more chapters. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"I miss you," Annabeth said as she looked at the Iris message.

"I miss you more," Percy countered with a grin. It was the grin that she loved, but there was sadness behind it. "Tomorrow is the last day of the deadline, right? We'll be able to see each other after you get back. How has the quest been?"

"Not good," Annabeth answered. She told Percy all about the quest. He had to insert a golden drachma every so often. It didn't look like he minded.

"I thought I was suppose to be the one getting in trouble," Percy joked. He quickly turned serious. "Thalia and Hylla are under Circe's charmspeak, right?"

"They don't act like it," Annabeth replied. She looked down. "Piper and I arrived here yesterday. We spent the entire time trying to find where the shield is. Thorn, one of the demititan leaders, contacted us and said they were on the way."

"It sounds like you can trust Thorn. He seems like a good guy," Percy commented.

"How are things at camp?" Annabeth questioned.

"The Ares kids are ready to snap. They've been confined to their cabins, so they won't kill anyone. The Aphrodite kids are vicious. They scare me a little," Percy replied. "Is Piper the same as always?"

"She seems fine," Annabeth replied.

"Annabeth, they're here," Piper said stepping into the hotel room.

"Hey," Percy greeted waving to Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite waved back.

"I better go. I love you," Annabeth said sadly.

"I love you too wise girl," Percy said. He smiled one last time and ended the Iris message. Annabeth sighed sadly. She missed Percy.

Annabeth turned and followed Piper out of the hotel room. The two were well rested and ready for whatever the day held. The four demititan leaders were waiting in the empty lobby.

"Half of the army is here," Alex reported. She had one arm wrapped around Sarah who looked much better.

"The other half won't be here till tomorrow," Thorn reported. He turned towards Piper and Annabeth. "Morning."

"Feeling better?" Annabeth asked Sarah.

"Course. A silly knife isn't going to stop me," Sarah answered. "Do we have any idea where the supplies are going?"

Annabeth shook her head. She glanced at Thorn. He had sent them an Iris message the day before saying the demititan army was on the way. They also discussed Alex being the traitor. It was decided that she would be dealt with soon.

"Annabeth. Piper," a voice called. No, it was Reyna. Annabeth quickly turned. She felt disappointment as she saw an Iris message. The disappointment turned to shock as she saw Reyna.

Reyna was standing near Vera. Her hands were handcuffed in front of her. She had a bloody nose and blood trickling out of her mouth. Vera had a visibly bruised jaw and black eye.

"What happened?" Annabeth quickly asked.

"We staged a fight," Vera answered.

"Circe is so mad at me that she was willing to leave Vera and I alone, so Vera could beat the crap out of me," Reyna answered. She turned her head and spat blood out. "The shield is in a temple in Death Valley. The temple belongs to my mother."

"Death Valley," Annabeth repeated. "Do you know anything else?"

"We have an ally," Reyna replied. She looked Annabeth in the eyes. "Circe is taking me to the temple. She swore to punish me for my disrespect. If we see you there, the shield is the only thing that matters."

Annabeth looked away but nodded. She slowly looked back and spoke, "We'll get the temple as soon as we can."

"The Amazons and Hunters are going to have it well guarded," Vera interrupted. "You might be able to sneak by. You'll probably need a distraction though."

"We can provide that," Thorn offered.

"Death Valley is a day's march from here," Alex added. "We would have to go with our currents troops and hope the others make it in time."

"If we go on the Pegasi, we would get there quicker," Annabeth suggested.

"We wouldn't be able to sneak past everyone without a distraction," Piper argued. "We have to march with the army."

"By the time you get to the temple, you will have seven hours to find the shield and get it back," Reyna said. Annabeth did not miss that the praetor didn't include herself.

"We will have seven hours," Annabeth corrected.

"We need to go," Vera said suddenly. She looked up and then back at them.

"Stay safe. Both of you," Annabeth ordered. She ended the Iris message.

"There's our destination. I'll tell the army,"Alex said as she let go of Sarah.

"Don't get lost," Sarah teased.

"Wait," Thorn interrupted. "We have one more thing to discuss."

"What is it?" Sarah questioned.

"Alex being a traitor," Thorn accused. There was silence for a few moments. It only took Alex a moment to process the words.

"You think I am a traitor?" Alex spat. She stepped closer to her fellow leader and glared. "I would never do anything to betray anyone here."

"Then, you can tell us about the numerous messages that you sent to Rhea. You can also tell us about the multiple visits to Atlas. Want to hear what really needs to be explained? Why are you sending full reports about us to the Hunters of Artemis?" Thorn demanded.

"I managed to intercept one of those letter. You betrayed us," Thorn said. He pulled a letter out of his pocket. "Explain yourself."

"I can't," Alex muttered. "It is not what it looks like."

Thorn shook his head. He spoke, "Since we are about to go to war, we cannot move past the preliminary vote. I suggest that we still go with it. I vote to exile Alex."

"I concur," Oliver said after a few moments. He looked at the ground and hid his face. Annabeth glanced at Piper. They both knew this was necessary to ensure that their trip to the temple was safe. It still felt like they were intruding.

Sarah looked at the letter. She looked up at Alex then back down. She slowly spoke, "I concur."

Alex looked at Sarah in shock. Her face twisted into hate. She grabbed her sword and turned towards Annabeth. The daughter of Athena studied her.

"You are the wisest one here. Tell them they are wrong," Alex demanded. It took Annabeth a moment to realize she was actually pleading.

"The evidence is too much," Annabeth argued.

"You're going to regret this," Alex warned. She glared hatefully and stalked out of the hotel.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Thorn said.

"It was nothing," Piper reassured. "Is your army ready to march?"

"We will be," Thorn promised.

"We will meet you outside in a few minutes," Annabeth said. She followed Piper back to their room. There was a knot in Annabeth's stomach. She felt that they would regret what had just happened.


	24. The Divine

**Thank you for all of the reviews. They mean a lot.**

**Now, the fun begins.**

* * *

"Seven hours," Piper repeated as she stared at the temple. It was still a mile from them, but it was clearly visible. She could see faint outlines of Amazons and Hunters. The two demigods had marched with the demititans. There had only been time to rest for a few hours.

"We will attack as soon as we can," Thorn warned. "It will be a hard and long battle."

"We can't follow Alex's plan for the battle," Oliver said.

"She would expect us not to," Sarah muttered. She had kept to herself for the entire march. "That is why we stick to the plan."

"I don't even know what the plan is," Oliver complained.

"You never cared before. Why now?" Sarah grumbled. She kick at the ground angrily. It was muddy from the rain that had been constantly falling. Everyone's legs were caked in mud.

Piper stepped back from the argument. She glanced back at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was having a discussion with a few of the demititans. The demititans, for the most part, seemed like normal teenagers. A few of them even went to school and kept an eye out for demigods.

"This has been fun," Annabeth commented as she walked over to Piper. They both were running on a few hours of sleep.

"Do we have a plan to deal with Circe?" Piper asked.

"Not yet," Annabeth answered.

"I don't think that I can counteract her charmspeak," Piper admitted.

"No one expects you to. She has had centuries of practice. There is a chance you can stall Hylla or Thalia. We'll get through it," Annabeth promised.

Piper stopped as she heard Thorn yell a command. Ten of the demititans pulled out bows. They aimed and fired within a few seconds. The arrows were intercepted by arrows that belonged to the Hunters.

"Attack!" Thorn yelled. The demititans yelled a war cry and ran forward. The two armies crashed. It was time for Annabeth and Piper to get to the temple.

Oliver had asked to accompany them. He claimed that he did not like violence. The two demigods agreed. A son of Apollo would be useful for whatever was next.

Annabeth slipped on her hat and disappeared from sight. Piper nodded to Oliver. The two moved around the battle trying to flank the left side.

The Amazons and Hunters who did notice them were quickly engaged by the demititans. It was hard to see who was winning the battle. The demititans had smaller numbers, but they worked extremely well together.

Two Amazons were guarding the door. Piper noticed that one of them was Vera. She didn't know the other one. Vera glanced at them and raised her weapon.

"Halt!" the other Amazons commanded. She raised her own spear. Vera slammed the butt of her sword into her companion's head. The Amazon fell forward unconscious.

"I would hurry," Vera said. She leaned on the wall. It all seemed too easy.

"Thank you," Piper said. She hurried inside. The first thing that hit her was how large the temple was. The roof had to be thirty feet above them. Her eyes were drawn to a statue of Bellona.

It was twenty feet tall and outlined in gold. The statue was a much taller replica of the one at Camp Jupiter. Piper had only seen it once when Jason gave her a tour of the camp.

"Look," Annabeth whispered as took her hat off. Piper slowly followed the direction Annabeth was looking at. There was a throne near the statue. It was of Greek design. Ares' shield was sitting on the throne.

"It can't be that easy," Piper whispered.

"It isn't," Oliver promised. Piper felt a cold blade rest against her neck. "It was easier than I thought to get Alex exiled."

"You're the traitor?" Annabeth demanded as she turned to face them.

"I am," Oliver confirmed. "Now, you are going to walk out into the open, or I will kill your friend."

Annabeth cursed in ancient Greek. She walked towards the middle of the temple. Oliver followed practically dragging Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite didn't fight. It wasn't time yet.

"This was easier than I expected," Oliver bragged. He stopped and looked around. "Circe will be here soon."

"How did you manage to frame Alex with those letters?" Annabeth asked.

"I didn't. She sent all of those," Oliver answered. He shrugged. "I'll have to find out why though."

"You feigned being meek," Annabeth guessed.

"I was pretty good. I guess the demititans just can't trust us demigods," Oliver said. Piper glared hating the fact that she couldn't do anything. Annabeth's eyes flickered behind Oliver before focusing back on him.

"This entire plan was to get us alone," Piper said. The blade was pressed into her throat. She grimaced. "I am not going to try to charmspeak you."

"You can never be too sure," Oliver muttered. He suddenly gasped. The blade that was being held against Piper's neck fell. She turned and stared.

Alex calmly pushed Oliver off of her sword. She finished the job with a quick flick of her wrist. The demititan looked up.

"You saved me," Piper said. "Thank you."

"Get the shield," Alex ordered. She sheathed her blade silently. It was easy to see how angry she was.

"That was quite a spectacle," Circe bragged as she stepped out of the shadows. She was dragging a bloodied and beaten Reyna by her handcuffs. The witch shoved Reyna to the ground and backed away. "Don't you want to check on your friend?"

Piper glared, but she hurried to Reyna' s side. The praetor looked at her and slowly tried to sit up. Piper quickly helped her. Reyna still had her armor and cloak on, but her sword was nowhere in sight.

"Thalia and Hylla will be here soon," Reyna wheezed. She looked horrible.

"We had plenty of fun," Circe commented. "I think a few more beatings will allow Reyna to learn respect."

"You're a monster," Annabeth snapped. She moved to Reyna's side.

"After we finish our business here, I think Reyna and I will have fun with an old friend," Circe taunted. She quietly grabbed the whip that had been at her side. The witch cracked it against the ground. Reyna visibly flinched.

"Drop it," Piper snapped. Circe's face twisted in confusion for a few moments. The witch shook her head and glared.

Piper stared. She had been so angry that she had just spoken. There was no way to know that it would have allowed her to stop Circe for a few moments. Piper realized that she could counteract Circe's charmspeak.

"What is your brilliant plan?" Circe questioned. "How does your demititan friend fit into all this."

"We aren't friends," Alex said. She turned to leave. "This isn't my fight."

"You can't go," Annabeth argued.

"The two of you cannot even gain the loyalty of a demititan? I thought they were suppose to be allies," Circe jeered.

"The witch attacked Sarah. She will do much worse if you allow her to," Piper said. Alex turned back towards them and glared.

"How badly are you hurt?" Annabeth whispered to Reyna. She didn't receive an answer. The daughter of Athena looked back up at Circe. "Where is Thalia and Hylla?"

"They are overseeing the battle. They will be joining us soon," Circe answered. Reyna glared and stood. Loud footsteps suddenly echoed through the temple.

"This is the monument to Bellona's sins," a goddess commented as she stepped into the open. Piper turned and stared. The goddess was wearing full Greek battle armor. Her eyes were red.

"Enyo!" Circe greeted with a smile. "How did you enjoy the chat with Rhea? These are the demigods who are on their stupid quest. I would like to keep the Roman alive. The daughter of Aphrodite would make a good apprentice."

Piper stared at Enyo. This was Ares' sister. She was the one who had initially accused them of stealing the shield. Why was she working with Circe?

"You stole the shield," Reyna muttered.

"I ordered it," Enyo replied. She looked at Reyna and glared. "You are a Roman and a daughter of Bellona."

"I see that you are the pathetic goddess that people mistake for my mother," Reyna said. Piper stared at her. It was not a wise thing to anger a goddess. "Are you so jealous of my mother that you wanted to frame her for stealing the shield?"

"There is more to this plot than you know," Enyo responded.

"I know that this is just a distraction. You want to divide the camps and Olympus, so Ouranos can rise without being stopped," Reyna said. She smirked at the surprised look on the goddess' face. "I know a lot more than you think."

"How?" Enyo demanded.

"I have my ways," Reyna answered. She glanced at Piper then Annabeth. The praetor was doing her best to hide her nervousness."

"You have us here. Why?" Annabeth asked. She grabbed her sword and cut the handcuffs on Reyna's wrist. The praetor rubbed her wrist gratefully.

"There are many reasons," Circe replied.

"We came here for the shield," Piper interrupted. They didn't have time to waste.

"I have all of the time in the world," Circe said as if she had read Piper's mind.

"There is a simple way solve this," Reyna said. She unzipped her jacket and grabbed her sword. She unsheathed it. "Enyo, I challenge you to a duel for the shield."

"What?" Circe demanded.

"The demigod with broken ribs want to challenge me?" Enyo questioned. She laughed. "You cannot even grasp a sword with your sword hand. Why would I accept your challenge?"

"You hate my mother. There is no better way to strike a blow at her than killing me. This should be an easy fight for you, or are you scared? Are you going to back down a challenge that was issued to you by a Roman?" Reyna asked. "If you do, you only prove why the Greeks barely regarded you as a goddess."

"I accept your challenge Roman," Enyo said angrily. "It will be a battle till one of us cannot fight anymore. Your friends are not allowed to interfere. The witch will not either."

Piper wanted to protest. There was no way that Reyna could fight the goddess. Annabeth seemed to be sharing her doubts.

"Trust me," Reyna whispered as she looked at them. Her eyes held something that Piper couldn't identify. The dried blood on her face almost made her look psychotic.

"Are you ready?" Enyo questioned. She grabbed her large sword that was at her side. The goddess looked extremely confident.

"Always," Reyna answered as she stepped forward.


	25. The Duel

**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.**

**I apologize if updates become slower. Finals are next week, and studying has taken first priority. Enjoy the new chapter.**

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Reyna took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pain in her chest. She was exhausted from everything that had happened. It took a moment for her to shove the negative thoughts aside.

The daughter of Bellona turned and looked up at the statue of her mother. The statue was holding a torch and sword. The expression was a critical one. Reyna nodded to the statue.

Reyna focused back on Enyo. The goddess has almost every advantage. The problem was that she was too confident. The praetor needed to exploit that.

The two circled each other. Reyna was trying to get used to the weight of her sword in her left hand. It was lighter than her old sword.

Enyo suddenly shook her head. She walked towards the throne and grabbed Mars' shield. The goddess spoke, "Witch, I want you to get the Roman a shield."

"She doesn't need a shield," Circe protested.

"I do not want this victory tainted. Get her a shield," Enyo ordered. Circe glared but walked away. She returned with a shield and threw it at Reyna.

As soon as Reyna caught the shield, Enyo attacked. The goddess slammed her sword down. Reyna barely brought the shield up to avoid it. The impact bruised her arm and dented the shield. Her weakened hand could barely hold the shield.

Reyna jabbed forward. It was easily deflected. She backed up. Enyo gave her no breathing room. The goddess attacked with lightning speed. Reyna was forced to block everything with the shield.

It wasn't long before Reyna's arm was bruised and sore. The shield had multiple dents in it. Reyna cursed and suddenly threw the shield at Enyo. The goddess deflected it easily.

"You play at war," Enyo spat. She seemed to be enjoying the battle. The goddess stabbed forward. Reyna parried it and was almost disarmed in the process.

Reyna cursed and didn't think. She allowed battle instincts to kick. The praetor attacked once again. Anything she did was blocked with ease. Enyo was just toying with her.

Her frustration caused her to swing wildly. Enyo caught the blow on her shield. The goddess shoved Reyna away.

As Reyna stumbled, Enyo kicked her in the chest. Reyna flew back and hit the ground hard. She tasted blood.

"You never send a girl to do a warrior's job," Enyo hissed. Reyna turned on her side gritting her teeth. She grabbed her sword. There was no way she could lose.

_Mother, please _Reyna thought. She gritted her teeth again and forced herself to stand. Before Reyna could react, Enyo slammed the shield into her face.

Reyna fell to the ground. Everything started to fade. One hand reached out to her fallen weapon.

"You put your faith in this demigod?" Enyo asked Annabeth. The only response was silence. "Hopefully, you two will see the error of yours ways."

Reyna grabbed her sword and got to her hands and knees. She could not lose. There was too much at stake. The daughter of Bellona slowly stood.

Enyo laughed and swung her sword. Reyna caught it and twisted the blade out of Enyo's hand. The goddess looked just as surprised as Reyna was. Oddly, the goddess smirked.

"What are you trying to do Roman? Are you trying to make up for the sins of your past?" Enyo taunted. Reyna glared and kicked the goddess' weapon away. There was no way she could know. A smile was all she received.

Reyna attacked once again. Her sword hit the shield with a loud crash. Enyo seemed unconcerned. She simply shoved Reyna away.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell your friends about committing patricide," Enyo said. Reyna froze mid swing. "Hylla told us many things about you and your past."

At the mention of her sister, Reyna snapped. She didn't even want to remember what her sister had done to her just a few hours ago. The wound still ached despite the ambrosia and nectar that Vera had secretly given her. Reyna swung her sword with all of her might.

As it hit the shield, Reyna felt something give away in her shoulder. She instantly dropped her sword. Enyo took advantage by kicking Reyna in the chest once again.

Reyna slammed into a pillar and fell to the ground. She slowly tried to get to her hands and knees. Enyo walked towards her and spoke, "You are letting down your friends."

"Is that all you can do?" Piper demanded. Reyna slowly looked up. Everything was fuzzy. "You have to hide behind words like a coward."

"Are you telling me that I hide behind words?" Enyo demanded. She turned on Piper. "You are the one who would be useless without charmspeak. I guess that is why you haven't done anything useful on this quest."

"Leave her alone," Reyna spat. She felt blood trickle out of her mouth. The daughter of Bellona closed her eyes and pleaded to her mother once again. She needed the strength.

"Why did you kill the man that Aphrodite was courting?" Annabeth questioned.

"How did you figure that out?" Enyo demanded. She turned on Annabeth.

"I figured that you would have a hand in it. You wouldn't have any problem convincing a child of Ares to do it if you guaranteed glory," Annabeth explained. She looked like she was focused on something else.

"I needed a reason to get my brother upset at Aphrodite," Enyo answered.

"To divide them?" Annabeth guessed.

"And cause chaos on Olympus," Reyna said. She didn't look up to meet Annabeth's eyes. Her greatest secret was her crime of patricide. It had just been revealed without her permission.

"I also hate Aphrodite," Enyo said. "Praetor, how would you like your death? I can end it quickly, or you can bleed out. It's up to you."

"Screw you," Reyna spat. She stood and punched Enyo in the face. The goddess responded by grabbing Reyna by her neck. She threw her across the temple.

Reyna hit the ground hard. She spat more blood out. The daughter of Bellona looked at the statue of her mother. She should have known that she wouldn't get any help.

Bellona had only helped her when it really mattered. The entire world had been at stake. Athena was the first one that helped her. Even though Reyna was begging for help, she wasn't going to get it.

"I am going to love killing you at the foot of your mother's statue," Enyo said. Reyna slowly stood. "I see you love punishment demigod."

Enyo had retrieved her sword. She walked towards Reyna. The goddess was taking her time.

Reyna tried to block out all of her pain. It was time for something desperate. She had a thrown out shoulder, and her other hand could not grasp her sword properly. Enyo smirked and swung her sword. Reyna caught it in her already injured hand.

The pain was the first thing she felt. The sword had practically cut through her hand. Reyna pushed the sword away. She slammed her elbow into Enyo's throat.

Enyo quickly backed up and started coughing. She looked more stunned than hurt. Reyna slammed into her. They both tumbled to the ground. Reyna kicked the shield towards Annabeth.

Reyna quickly stood and moved towards her sword. She picked it up and turned. There was barely enough time to block Enyo's sword. Her injured shoulder ached in protest. Her other hand was pressed against her leg as blood fell from it.

"I tire of these games," Enyo spat. She shoved Reyna away. Reyna had been expecting it and immediately caught her balance. She lunged forward without a second thought. Enyo didn't block in time.

Reyna stared as her sword entered Enyo's body. She pulled it out and was surprised to see golden ichor: the blood of the gods. Enyo backed up angrily and spoke, "You are going to pay for that Roman."

"Reyna." Annabeth called. Reyna turned towards her and barely caught Mars' shield with her left hand. She slowly grabbed the shield with her practically destroyed right hand. The praetor nodded gratefully.

"You got this," Piper said with a small smile. She couldn't hide her worry.

"Enyo runs on chaos," Annabeth warned. Reyna nodded again and turned back to the goddess. The words seemed important, but she had no clue why.

Reyna took a few moments to analyze the battle. All of her attacks had been without thought. When it seemed like she had the advantage, Enyo tried to anger her. Chaos was attacking without any thought being put into it.

The daughter of Bellona took a moment to clear her mind. It was hard to shove aside her anger and bitterness. Her mind cleared after a few moments. As soon as she was focused, Enyo attacked her.

Reyna caught the blow on the shield. It sent a jolt of pain through her arm. She backed away and attacked with her own sword. The two went back and forth.

Minutes passed without anyone getting the advantage. Reyna was amazed that she held out so long. Her injured hand had lost all feeling. It was hard to hold the shield. Enyo seemed to get angrier and angrier by the second.

Enyo suddenly slammed her sword into Mars' shield. It flew from Reyna's grasp. The goddess kicked her in the chest. Reyna fell to the ground and didn't get up.

"You thought you could stand up to me?" Enyo demanded. She turned towards. "Do you have any last words for your friend?"

"I'm surprised it has taken you so long to take her out. I thought you were suppose to be a goddess of war," Annabeth said.

"I am," Enyo spat.

"Really? You fight like a Roman legionnaire," Annabeth commented. She looked unconcerned.

"Shut up. I will punish you if you don't," Enyo threatened.

"Honestly, I'm not that scared," Annabeth said with a shrug.

"You are a sad excuse for a goddess," Piper added. "I think Aphrodite would fight better than you."

Reyna slowly looked up at her friends. She painfully rolled onto her side. Her left hand gripped her sword.

"You two are going to be quiet," Enyo commanded.

"What do you think is going to happen when Ares finds out about your betrayal?" Piper questioned. She stepped forward. "The other Olympians will turn against you. You will not have any allies."

"You're wrong," Enyo argued.

"She's not," Annabeth promised. "You can just stop fighting now, and Ares may show you mercy."

"No. I've worked too hard," Enyo said. She walked towards Reyna and suddenly froze. "You wear Rhea's ring. Witch, you said Rhea was an ally."

"She is," Circe said crossing her arms.

"No allies," Annabeth repeated.

"Shut up!" Enyo spat. Reyna jumped to her feet and stabbed forward. Enyo blocked the blow and shoved Reyna away. The daughter of Bellona stumbled backwards and threw her sword. The goddess howled in pain as the sword hit her in the chest.

Reyna tackled Enyo to the ground. She tore the sword out and placed it to Enyo's neck. Reyna spoke painfully, "Surrender."

Enyo hesitated. Reyna pressed her sword into Enyo's neck, and the goddess quickly spoke, "You win this time demigod. You can take the shield and go. I will not harm you."

"Swear on the River Styx," Annabeth said walking towards them.

"I swear on the River Styx that I will not harm you," Enyo muttered. Reyna slowly stood and sheathed her sword. She turned towards the shield. A blast of energy suddenly slammed into her and threw her backwards. When she hit the ground, her entire world started to fade.

"You should have extracted a promise from me," Circe said. "Enyo, we are going to initiate our other plan."

Enyo growled something and started to glow. Reyna closed her eyes as the goddess disappeared. She reopened them when she heard her friends move next to her.

"This was always how it was going to be," Circe commented. She looked at Reyna and paced. "You have a ring that belongs to Rhea. It marks you. Why?"

"I'm her champion," Reyna replied. She smiled at the shocked look on the witch's face. Circe's face soon twisted into rage.

Reyna's friends helped her stand. The daughter of Bellona couldn't meet their eyes. She stared at the ground.

"You did great," Annabeth whispered. She looked up at Circe. "You can let us have the shield and go."

Circe laughed. She snapped her fingers. Thalia and Hylla stepped out of the shadows. They moved by the witch's side.

Reyna wanted to curse. She was exhausted and doubted that she could fight her sister. Thunder suddenly boomed throughout the temple. It was the loudest thing Reyna had ever heard in her life.

Another noise tore through the air. It almost sounded like a scream. Reyna had a horrible feeling. She slowly looked at Circe. The witch laughed evilly and spoke, "It has finally happened! Ouranos has risen!"


	26. The Beginning of the End

"Crap," Piper said. It was instinctive. Her mind was focused on what Circe had exclaimed. Had Ouranos really risen? She had been told that there was no way that he could come back.

"I would offer you mercy, but dying would be preferable to what Ouranos will do to you," Circe said.

"We failed," Reyna muttered. She glared at the ground angrily.

"We didn't. Our job is to get the shield back. We're going to do that," Annabeth promised.

"Your confidence is wonderful to see," Circe said sarcastically.

"Are you going to send your pets after us?" Reyna spat.

"No," Circe answered. She smiled. "I have no more use for them. They have served their purpose. My gambit has payed off."

"What gambit?" Piper asked. She glanced around. Alex was leaning on a pillar and watching them. Her face was emotionless.

"There was a few key Olympians that needed to be distracted. Artemis was so distracted by the fact that her lieutenant had betrayed her and Zeus that she could not focus on me. Athena was worried for her daughter's safety. As for Aphrodite, she is not a threat," Circe explained.

"Bellona had two problems. One daughter was involved with the theft of the shield. The other has betrayed her to work with Rhea," Circe continued. She turned towards Alex. "It is time to decide demititan."

Alex remained silent. She was studying Reyna with cold, calculating eyes. Circe smiled and looked at Piper.

"I have an offer for you dear," Circe said.

"The answer is no," Piper said without any hesitation.

"You don't understand. Ouranos will lay waste to everyone that is not his ally. I want you to become his ally and my apprentice. I can teach you things that only mere mortals can imagine," Circe offered.

"No," Piper repeated.

"You will face the worst kind of betrayal," Circe warned.

"I don't care," Piper said. "You're pure evil."

"You think you know what evil is?" Circe demanded. She smiled cruelly as she took a step back. The witch showed no concern for the shield. "Hylla and Thalia, you two are going to kill yourselves."

"No," Reyna whispered. Annabeth had the same look of shock on her face.

"Stop!" Piper yelled at the top of her lungs. She used every bit of charmspeak that she could. The effects were overwhelming. Thalia and Hylla instantly stopped lifting their weapons.

Circe even seemed affected by it. She shook her head and backed away. The witch fled the temple. Reyna looked at Piper with a rage in her eyes. She gripped her sword.

"Go get her," Piper said. Reyna nodded and ran after Circe. Piper turned her attention back to the charmspeaked demigods. "You two need to snap out of it."

"Don't listen to Circe," Piper continued. "She is using charmspeak to have you hurt your friends and families. The Amazons and Hunters are being led into a war. Snap out of it."

Hylla frowned and shook her head. She looked at Piper and slowly raised her knife. Without anymore hesitation, Annabeth put her hat on.

Piper looked down as Annabeth turned invisible. Her charmspeak wasn't enough. She was able to Gaea back to sleep, but she couldn't stop Circe's charmspeak.

There was a grunt from Hylla as Annabeth slammed the hilt of her sword into her head. Annabeth did the same for her best friend. Hopefully, it would be enough to snap them out of the charmspeak.

"They should end the battle as quickly as they can," Alex said speaking for the first time in awhile. "There are casualties on both sides."

"We have to make sure they're conscious," Annabeth said taking off her hat. She knelt next to Thalia and shook her shoulder. She received a groan.

"What happened?" Hylla asked as she slowly sat up. She placed a hand to the back of her head. The queen of the Amazons looked around in confusion.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Piper questioned.

"The party we had for Reyna. Everything after that is fuzzy," Hylla replied. She slowly stood.

"You were charmspeaked by Circe. We think that you or Thalia stole Ares' shield. About a week ago, he threatened war if we didn't return it. That was our quest," Piper explained.

"I knew we couldn't trust the witch," Thalia said.

"I'm an idiot," Hylla muttered. She took a deep breath and cleared her face of emotions.

"You two need to call off the battle that you are fighting with the demititans," Alex interrupted.

"Battle?" Thalia questioned. She looked at Alex in confusion.

"I'll explain on the way," Alex said. She walked away without letting Thalia respond. Thalia glanced at Annabeth before following.

"I screwed up. I shouldn't have gone to Circe in the first place," Hylla muttered. She ran a hand through her hair. "Reyna is going to kill me when she finds out."

Piper glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena met her eyes and motioned to the shield. Piper quietly picked it up. She felt power instantly run through her.

"I had to retrieve this once before," Annabeth commented. She shuddered. "There was spiders when Percy and I had to go in a love tunnel."

"Sounds like a fun first date," Piper commented.

"We were on a quest to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt," Annabeth explained.

"It seems like the Olympians love to lose their things," Piper joked.

"The bitch got away," Reyna reported as she walked back towards them. She froze seeing her sister.

"Reyna," Hylla whispered. She walked towards her younger sister. Reyna glared at her. "We need to talk."

"I don't have time to waste talking to you," Reyna said in a low, angry voice.

"Reyna, we need to talk," Hylla protested.

"No, we don't," Reyna snapped. She looked angrier than Piper had ever seen. "You need to go deal with your Amazons. I am going to fix your mistake."

"Sister," Hylla said in a tone that was almost pleading.

"Don't call me that," Reyna snapped. She shoved past Hylla. "Just leave me the hell alone."

Hylla looked down as Reyna walked out of the temple. Annabeth put a hand on Hylla's shoulder and spoke, "She just needs time. Circe did something to her."

"What did I do to her?" Hylla questioned. She looked pissed at herself.

"You attacked her and I," Piper answered. She rubbed her arm which was almost fully healed. "You broke my arm and her ribs. I'm not sure what you did to her after that."

"You should get outside to the Amazons," Annabeth suggested. Hylla swallowed painfully and nodded. She walked out of the temple. Annabeth looked at Piper.

"We have to deal with Ouranos after this," Piper said as she started to leave the temple. She glanced back at the statue of Bellona.

"We'll be fine," Annabeth promised. Piper stepped outside the temple and looked around. She saw Amazons and Hunters gathered around their leaders. The demititans were checking over their fallen.

"You three did it," Thorn said walking towards them. He looked exhausted. Alex was trailing him. "Alex said that Oliver was the traitor. What happened?"

Piper quickly explained what had happened. She didn't know what to think of Alex. The demititan didn't betray them, but she didn't help either. Why would she help them though? They didn't back her up when she was being accused of being a traitor.

"I'm sorry," Thorn said to Alex.

"We have another war to prepare for. Ouranos is back, and he has raised an army. They are being led by a demigod named Odovacer," Alex explained. She looked back at her troops.

"How do you know?" Piper asked.

"My father," Alex answered. "My contact in the Hunters was Lady Artemis who wanted a weekly update on our status. She feared what we would do while Gaea was rising. How soon can we have a meeting with Chiron?"

"You can contact him anytime and explain the situation," Annabeth replied. "He'll be happy to talk."

"Good," Alex said. She held out a hand. Annabeth shook it. Piper did the same. The two leaders walked away.

"Ready to go?" Reyna asked from behind them.

"Do you want to talk to Hylla before we go?" Piper questioned as she turned.

"No," Reyna answered gritting her teeth.

"We should tend to your injuries," Annabeth suggested.

"We barely have any time left on the deadline. Let's not waste anymore" Reyna said. She looked back at her sister. For a moment, the praetor looked ready to have a breakdown. It disappeared after she took a deep breath.

"Do you want to talk?" Piper asked after a moment.

"We need to talk about the soothsayer that I met and what Rhea told me," Reyna replied. "I already called for the Pegasi."

Piper nodded. She knew it was the best they were going to get at the moment. She took a moment to relax. They had found the shield. The only objective was to return it, but she had a feeling that it was going to be easier said than done.


	27. The Broken Curse

"How are you holding up?" Annabeth asked Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite slowly looked at her.

"I'm fine. I just have a small headache," Piper answered. She smiled. "How is Reyna?"

Annabeth looked down at the daughter of Bellona. Reynawas asleep against Gudio. Ares' shield was strapped to her arm. Annabeth finally answered, "She almost looks peaceful."

"The sky is getting worse," Piper commented. Thunder boomed as soon as the words left her mouth. Lightning flashed in the distance. There was no rain. It was as if the sky was holding it all in until the perfect moment.

"Ouranos must be battling Zeus for control of the sky," Annabeth commented.

"We still don't know what curse was lifted. There is also the reward being inflicted. We're missing bits and pieces," Piper said. She leaned against her own Pegasus.

"I have a feeling that we will find out when we deliver the shield," Annabeth said. She looked at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona was starting to shift as if she was waking up. Reyna had been sleeping ever since she recounted the story of what had happened when she was with Circe. It was clear Reyna had been leaving out details.

"How close are we?" Piper asked.

"Five minutes to Olympus. We still have a hour left on our deadline," Annabeth answered. They had pushed the Pegasi to their limit. She gently shook Reyna's shoulder. "Rise and shine."

"Hmm?" Reyna mumbled not fully awake.

"We're almost there. You need to wake up," Annabeth said gently. As they passed over a building, the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. She wrapped her arms around Reyna and threw both of them off of the Pegasus.

They both hit the roof painfully. Reyna instantly curled up. There was a boom of thunder and crack of lighting. Annabeth stared as she saw lightning hit Guido. The Pegasus hit the roof and did not move.

Piper landed her Pegasus near them. She jumped off and ran to their side. Annabeth waved her away and spoke, "We're fine. Go check on Guido."

Annabeth slowly sat up. She stood and looked at Guido. The Pegasus was laying on his side painfully. Both of his wings were burned from where the lightning had hit.

"We have to help him," Piper said.

"I don't know anything about Pegasus first aid," Annabeth said. She grabbed nectar from her pocket and poured it on Guido's wounds.

"Unicorn powder works. I don't have any on me," Reyna interrupted. She slowly stood and walked towards them. Her face was horribly pale.

"Did I hurt you?" Annabeth questioned.

"You saved my life," Reyna answered. She knelt next to Guido. "We need to have someone come help him, so we can get the shield back to Olympus before the deadline."

"That won't be necessary," a new voice interjected. Annabeth turned and stared. The Titan that had spoken had black, slicked back hair. His gray eyes were full of hatred. One hand gripped his javelin.

"Atlas," Annabeth gasped. A blast of energy slammed into her. She fell backwards, and her head whiplashed. The world dimmed.

"Check on Annabeth," Reyna commanded.

"Can you handle Atlas?" Piper questioned.

"Go!" Reyna snapped. Annabeth slowly looked up. She saw Reyna bring up Ares' shield to block a blast of energy. Atlas closed the gap in between the two and attacked.

"Annabeth, can you hear me?" Piper asked as she knelt next to Annabeth. The daughter of Athena nodded. Atlas should not have been able to attack them. He broke the ancient rules by doing so.

Reyna's cry of pain caught their attention. They both looked up to Atlas backhand the daughter of Bellona. The blow caused Reyna to spin around and fall to the ground. She didn't get back up.

Piper ran towards the Titan and her fallen friend. At the last second, she grabbed Ares' shield and used it to block Atlas' javelin. The Titan backed up and studied the three.

Annabeth stood and grabbed her sword. She grabbed her cap of invisibility and put it on. Atlas turned towards Piper and threw his javelin at lightning speed. It slammed into Ares' shield, but the force of it knocked Piper to the ground.

Atlas calmly walked towards the two fallen demigods. Annabeth attacked from the side. Atlas caught her blade. He threw her towards Reyna who was starting to stand. Annabeth slammed into the daughter of Bellona, and they both fell to the ground.

Annabeth's hat fell off. She slowly examined her surrounding. Reyna looked disoriented and was slowly turning on her side. Piper was struggling to get to her feet. They could not afford to lose this battle.

"You three put on a valiant effort. Unfortunately for you, it will not be enough," Atlas jeered. He walked towards Reyna and Annabeth.

"Stop," Piper cried. She was using as much charmspeak as she could. Atlas turned on her and glared. "You don't want to fight us."

"I do," Atlas growled. He slowly walked towards them.

"Piper, you need to leave," Reyna groaned. She grabbed her sword and slowly stood.

"Get the shield back to Olympus," Annabeth said to Piper. She stood as well.

"You three are not going to save the day," Atlas promised. Reyna looked at Annabeth and nodded to her. The only thing that mattered was giving Piper enough time to get to her Pegasus and get out of there.

Piper turned to run towards her Pegasus. Annabeth heard the boom of thunder and a crack of lightning. She turned to see lightning hit where Piper was going to run. The daughter of Aphrodite fell back.

Atlas took advantage of the distraction. He slammed into Annabeth knocking her to the ground. Reyna attacked the Titan. He crossed blades with her and shoved her back. The daughter of Bellona stumbled back.

Reyna had no time to react as Atlas threw his weapon. The javelin hit Reyna's shoulder, and the force of it spun her around and to the ground. Her sword skidded away from her.

Atlas smirked. He tore the javelin out of Reyna's shoulder as hard as he could and at an awkward angle. Reyna cried out in agony. She gripped her shoulder and tried to get up, but she collapsed to the ground a moment later. The Titan picked up Reyna's fallen sword.

Atlas threw Reyna's sword at Piper. Annabeth tried to call out a warning. The daughter of Aphrodite turned and barely brought up the shield in time.

Annabeth attacked the Titan from behind. He turned and caught her blow. Piper attacked from the side. The two demigods traded blows with Atlas until there was a loud clap of thunder.

Piper cursed as lightning hit in front of her once again. She quickly backed up. Atlas laughed and jeered, "The sky is against you demigods. What hope do you have?"

"Do we have a plan?" Reyna asked weakly. She was pale and shaking. Her good arm was gripping her injured shoulder which was horribly bloody. Reyna had finally managed to get to her feet.

"No," Annabeth admitted.

"You two go. I'll hold him off," Reyna said.

"No. You are not going to sacrifice yourself," Annabeth snapped.

"Infighting? How do you hope to stand against Ouranos?" Atlas taunted. His gaze focused on Reyna as if he was trying to figure something out.

"What do you want to do then?" Reyna whispered in an angry tone.

"I want you to not throw your life away," Annabeth answered. Reyna glared at her. Annabeth looked at Atlas. For the entire fight, she had felt stronger. A knot settled in her stomach as she realized that Reyna had been sharing what little strength she had with them.

"I have my orders," Atlas interrupted. "The daughter of Bellona is to be killed, but we should face facts. Your sword arm is beyond repair. You are no threat to Ouranos."

"Why does it matter?" Piper asked trying to buy time.

"Are you scared of Kronos' sword?" Annabeth questioned. She grabbed Reyna's arm. The praetor looked ready to pass out. "Stay with me Reyna."

"I'm not scared of anything,"Atlas snapped. He threw his javelin at Reyna. Annabeth tackled her to the ground.

Annabeth looked up to see Piper attack the Titan. She turned her focus back to Reyna. The praetor slowly looked up at her and shook her head. Her eyes started to close.

The daughter of Athena took off her jacket. She quickly cut off part of the sleeve and wrapped Reyna's shoulder as tightly as she could. She spoke in a whisper, "Please stay awake."

Annabeth stood and looked back at the fight. Atlas slammed his javelin into Ares' shield. Piper stumbled backwards. The shield was knocked from her hands.

"You think that you can stop me?" Atlas taunted. He swept Piper's feet out from under her by using his javelin. Piper barely rolled out of the way as Atlas slammed his javelin into the ground.

As Piper stood, Atlas slammed the end of his javelin into her temple. She collapsed and didn't move. Annabeth ran towards her fallen friend.

Atlas looked at her. He picked up Ares' shield. Thunder boomed in the distance. Atlas spoke, "I have been stuck with the curse of having to hold up the sky. You have endured it as well."

"Tell me," Atlas continued. "Why would the Olympians allow this to happen? You understand the pain that I went through. Artemis understands it. Why would they let it continue?"

"It's a punishment," Annabeth answered.

"A punishment for supporting Kronos? Is it a punishment for supporting my family? Prometheus helped human beings and was punished. Are the Olympians fair?" Atlas demanded. "Ouranos is a better alternative."

Annabeth glanced around at her friends. She had to help them. Without anymore hesitation, she attacked. Atlas easily blocked her blow. He backhanded her so hard that she fell to the ground.

"I have another meeting to attend to," Atlas said. Annabeth slowly tried to stand. She froze as Ares' shield was dropped near her. "Take this as a memento to remember me by demigod."

Annabeth just stared at the shield. Why had Atlas just left it? She grabbed it and looked up. Atlas was gone.

The daughter of Athena hurried to Reyna's side. She checked her friend's pulse. It was there, but it was weak. Annabeth grabbed nectar from her backpack and gave it to Reyna.

Annabeth tightened her jacket around Reyna's wound. She then moved to Piper's side and tried to wake her. Piper didn't stir.

"Damn it," Annabeth whispered. She didn't know what to do. There was no plan she could make. After taking a deep breath, Annabeth picked Piper up. She carried her over to Guido.

The sound of wings caught her attention. She turned and saw Blackjack in the distance. Her heart jumped. It had to be Percy. Why was he there though?

Percy guided Blackjack to the roof. He jumped off and ran towards Annabeth. She hugged him tightly. He was covered in sweat and had dried blood on him.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked.

"Ares didn't wait for the end of the deadline. His kids just started to attack about a hour ago," Percy explained.

"We have the shield," Annabeth said angrily. "We just needed to deliver it!"

"What happened here?" Percy questioned looking around.

"Atlas," Annabeth muttered.

"Atlas?" Percy repeated.

"With some help for Ouranos, he attacked us. He left the shield though," Annabeth explained. Percy opened his mouth. She stopped him. "We need to help Reyna and Piper."

"It seems like a lot happened," Percy commented as he walked towards Piper. He glanced at Guido and frowned. He seemed to be reassuring the Pegasus.

"That's an understatement," Annabeth muttered. "We can help these two and get the shield back to Olympus."

"Ares will understand when he hears what happened. I can't imagine he would keep his kids attacking with the other Olympians breathing down his neck," Percy added.

"You're right," Annabeth said as she knelt next to Reyna. She gently took care of her friend. Her mind was focused on what had happened. They needed to get to Olympus. Hopefully, Ares would see reason.

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**I hope you enjoyed. We have one more chapter to go.**


	28. The Point of No Return

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Reyna slowly opened her eyes as she heard voices. The conversation was muffled. Everything was dimmed. The daughter of Bellona slowly tried to sit up.

"Don't," Annabeth warned. "You lost a lot of blood. Atlas left the shield with us. The problem is that Ares started the war before the end of the deadline."

Reyna frowned as she looked up. Was that a ceiling? A honk caught her attention. She realized that she was laying in a van.

"How do you feel?" another voice asked. This one was more gentle and comforting

"Sally?" Reyna questioned. She had met Sally when she was in the hospital with appendicitis. The daughter of Bellona closed her eyes for a few moments. "Where are we going?"

"Olympus," Percy replied. He looked back at her from the front seat. Reyna nodded slightly. She looked up at Annabeth.

"Your lap is comfortable," Reyna commented. She slowly sat up. Everything started to spin. Reyna grabbed the seat in front of her to steady herself.

"How do you feel?" Piper asked. She was sitting behind them.

"Fine," Reyna lied.

"How do you really feel?" Sally questioned. She looked back at Reyna with a kind, motherly look. Reyna looked away. A knot grew in her stomach.

It was an odd feeling. Reyna never had a motherly figure in her life. Her sister was the only one who had come close to it. The knot in her stomach grew even more.

"We'll be at Olympus soon. What are you guys going to do?" Sally asked changing the subject. She looked at Reyna with a knowing look. Reyna gave her a grateful one.

"I thought we would deliver the shield and explain what happened," Annabeth answered. She rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache.

"Bellona and Athena were suppose to have a meeting with Ares a hour before the deadline," Piper recalled. "What do you think happened with the meeting?"

Reyna zoned out of the conversation. She laid her head against the seat in front of her. Her body ached. She was exhausted. The mental pain only made it worse.

She had gone back and forth on why Hylla had worked with Circe. Hours had been spent contemplating her conversation with Rhea. Her mind just wanted to shut down. Reyna didn't even want to think about what Circe had done to her.

Reyna looked down at her right arm. There was a jagged line where the soothsayer had cut into her arm. Her hand had been bandaged. It felt like her shoulder was bandaged as well.

"Reyna," Annabeth said. Reyna looked up at her. Annabeth motioned for her to get out of the van. The daughter of Bellona complied.

"We'll be back soon mom," Percy promised.

"I'll stay right here," Sally said. She smiled at them. Reyna turned to look at the Empire State building. Nervousness filled her. She was going to Mount Olympus.

Reyna looked around at all of the pedestrians. They were focused on rushing down the streets to get out of the rain. Despite the storm, it was peaceful.

A sense of dread overcame Reyna. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. The praetor turned towards Annabeth to call out a warning. The building in front of them exploded.

Reyna was thrown backwards from the force it. She landed on a car. The glass cracked as she slammed into it. It took her a few moments to roll on her side.

"Reyna?" Can you hear me?" Sally asked. Her voice was muffled. Reyna slowly looked up. All she could see was Sally and dust that was everywhere. Sally was watching her concerned.

"I'm fine," Reyna replied. She could barely hear herself. "Go check on the others."

Sally nodded and hurried away. Reyna rolled off of the car and stood. Her ears had started to ring. One look around showed the destruction that had been caused by the explosion.

Mortals were scattered about looking horrified. There was rubble everywhere. She saw Annabeth laying unconscious. Sally was kneeling next to her.

Reyna stumbled towards her friends. She took a pained breath and placed a hand to her ribs. There was an eerie silence in the air.

"This is the start of a new battle," Enyo commented. Reyna turned around to face the goddess. She had no time to grab her sword as Enyo grabbed her by the neck. "Demigod, you will be the first casualty in this war."

Reyna tried to grab her sword. Enyo threw her into a van like she weighed no more than a ball. Reyna slammed into the van and hit the ground hard. She instinctively rolled to the side. Enyo's sword tore through the concrete where Reyna had been.

"I am going to finish what I started," Enyo swore. She pulled her sword out of the ground. Reyna slowly stood and grabbed her own sword. The goddess calmly approached.

Reyna brought her sword down with a quick slash. Enyo easily blocked it and disarmed her. Before Reyna could react, Enyo kicked her in the chest.

The force of the kick caused Reyna to slam into a car. She fell to the ground and rolled onto her back. Reyna coughed up blood. Her body ached from the abuse it had been put through.

Footsteps echoed off of the street. Enyo grabbed Reyna by her neck and picked her up. She started to choke her. Reyna gasped and clawed at the goddess' hands.

"How does it feel to have your last moments spent in agony?" Enyo taunted. Reyna could not respond. It felt like her throat was being crushed. The goddess smiled evilly.

Reyna could see Sally look at them in shock. The praetor gave Sally a look that begged her to stay out of it. Enyo glanced at Sally and smirked.

"I was only going easy on you before," Enyo taunted. "I should have ended you at the temple. This is much more fun though. It is hard to see why the witch thought you were a threat."

Reyna's world started to fade. Her hands dropped from Enyo's. The goddess dropped her. Reyna gasped for breath and ended up choking on her own blood.

"You don't have long," Enyo commented. "I could end it for you now. A punctured lung is the worst way to go."

Reyna laid her head against the ground and tried to breath. She spat more blood out. It was impossible to catch her breath. Enyo was just torturing her now.

The goddess smiled. She was enjoying this. After raising her sword, Enyo spoke, "Goodbye demigod."

As Enyo brought her sword down, another sword stopped it. Reyna stared and slowly looked up at her savior. Her heart stopped.

"Get away from my daughter," Bellona growled. Enyo quickly backed up. The two goddesses circled each other.

"Mother," Reyna gasped. She tried to sit up. Her world instantly turned dark, and she was forced to lay back down. The praetor focused on studying her mother.

The only features that she could make out were Bellona's black eyes. The Roman goddess of war was wearing a full set of Roman battle armor. She looked tense.

"That's cute," Enyo sneered. "You come to your daughter's aid after she is already dying. You could have answered her pleas during our duel."

Bellona didn't say a word. She just attacked. The two goddesses traded blows.

Reyna watched them and coughed out more blood. She laid her head back and stared at the sky. She could feel that she was dying. It was odd. Death had always seem like it would come in the heat of battle.

Another cough wracked her body. She closed her eyes. Reyna had failed. There was no way that she could stop Ouranos. Rhea had to be wrong when she said that Reyna was the one.

A hand suddenly pressed against her ribs. Reyna's eyes snapped open. She quickly grabbed the person's wrist.

"Relax," Rhea whispered.

"You have to help my mom," Reyna wheezed. She coughed up more blood. Rhea shook her head.

"That path is already set. You are the most important objective," Rhea replied. She knelt next to Reyna.

"You have to help her," Reyna protested. She coughed again, and her entire world turned dark for a few moments.

"She will fight Enyo to the bitter end. You and your demigods friends must leave before Ouranos arrives," Rhea explained. She looked up and nodded.

Reyna laid her head back. The sky was getting darker. Keeping her eyes open was a struggle. As her eyes drifted closed, someone placed their hand to her forehead.

"We can repair some of the damage," Rhea promised. Her voice sounded a million miles away. "While we do this, I am going to give you one last gift."

"Are you sure she will make it?" another voice asked. Reyna couldn't recognize the voice. She did not have the strength to open her eyes.

"She will," Rhea promised. "Focus on what I am going to share with you Roman."

Reyna felt a pounding in her head. She closed her eyes tighter. After a few moments, she found the strength to open them.

The room she stood in was dimly lit. A few torches lit up the walls. It looked like an ancient meeting place. Three figures stood in the middle of the room.

One of them was Rhea. She seemed to be studying the other two. Enyo was one of the others. The third person had a cloak on. They spoke in a soft voice, "He will face shell shock from this new world."

"It will be best to introduce him slowly," Rhea said.

"We should not have to waste our time with this. We can attack directly," Enyo argued.

"Gaea was just defeated. We barely got our new general out of Tartarus in time. When the Olympians find out about him, they will know our plans," the cloaked figure said. Their voice sounded as if two people were talking at once.

"We give them something to think about," Enyo suggested. "The best generals use distractions. I say that is what we do."

"What is your plan?" the cloaked figure asked.

"We know that one of the Romans is destined to disrupt our plans. The best way to deal with them is take out their leadership," Enyo answered.

"The daughter of Bellona is the only consistent praetor," a new voice interrupted. He stayed in the shadows, so it was impossible to make out his face. "The other position of praetor is being tossed around."

"Lelantos," Rhea greeted. The Titan nodded his own greeting.

"How do we suggest taking this praetor out?" Enyo questioned.

"Circe knows about her. She used to be an attendant at the witch's spa," Rhea replied.

"She also has a sister in the Amazons. I think we found our target," Lelantos added.

"Good," Enyo said. The four fell silent as a new figure walked in. Reyna felt a flash of fear run through her. It was hard to see the man's face. He had long hair that covered his features.

"Odovacer," Rhea greeted in Latin.

"Titan," the man said in Latin as he returned the greeting. "Why was I called out of my eternal punishment?"

"We have an offer for you," Rhea answered once again in Latin. "Ouranos is returning. He needs a general who can divide two camps that the demigods refuge in."

"Camps? How long have I been gone?" Odovacer questioned.

"A little more than one thousand and five hundred years. There has been a lot that has happened. We need you to reacquaint with the world quickly," Rhea replied. "Your target is a place called New Rome."

"I see why you brought me back," Odovacer commented.

"You brought the end of Rome before. You will do it once again," Enyo said.

"I will," Odovacer promised. He grabbed his sword and examined it. "This was the blade that fell the last Roman emperor. Who is the leader of this Camp Jupiter?"

"One of them is named Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. She is a daughter of Bellona," Lelantos answered. "The other seems to be Frank Zhang. He is a son of Mars."

"They will both fall by my blade," Odovacer swore. Reyna tried to ignore the spike of fear that shot through her. She knew exactly who Odovacer was. He could not be allowed to end Rome again.

Reyna's eyes shot open. She started to cough. The pain was not as bad as it had been before. Annabeth was standing over her looking concerned. Piper was next to them with tears in her eyes.

"You're alive," Annabeth whispered.

"What happened?" Reyna asked slowly looking around. Her head was in Sally's lap.

"You had no pulse," Piper replied. "Rhea and someone else were near you. Rhea told us that they had repaired the worse of damage. She said we had to bring you back."

"I gave you CPR. I hope I didn't hurt your ribs more," Annabeth said.

"That's the second time you saved my life. I will repay you," Reyna promised. She slowly sat up. "We need to leave. Ouranos is coming."

"We can't just leave," Percy argued.

"We're not strong enough to fight him," Annabeth said. She helped Reyna stand. The daughter of Bellona leaned on her. "We need to leave while we can."

"What about Olympus?" Percy asked.

"Olympus is intact," a woman said from behind them.

"Mother?" Piper asked turning. Aphrodite smiled at them. The goddess of love was wearing battle armor. She looked tired.

"I must speak with the Roman," Aphrodite said. Reyna frowned. "Come demigod."

Reyna glanced at her friends. She slowly walked after Aphrodite. One hand pressed against her ribs as if it would stop the pain. As they moved farther away, Aphrodite seemed to change. Her expression became harder and more violent.

"Venus," Reyna greeted.

"Roman," Venus said in return. "You do not understood the rift you have caused in the Olympians."

"I haven't done anything," Reyna began.

"You accepted the task of being Ops' champion. You do not understand what that entitles," Venus explained. "Ops has sacrificed everything her entire life. She sacrificed her husband for the good of the Olympians."

"What does that have to do with me?" Reyna questioned.

"It is destined that her champions will have to make great sacrifices of the things they love. You do not understand how powerful that is," Venus answered.

"Rhea said that Ouranos will be here soon," Reyna warned.

"No," Venus argued. "The bulk of the Olympians have gathered here. He would not dare attack all of us. Minerva and Mars are missing. Bellona is also."

"Why them?" Reyna questioned.

"Mars can stop the war he created. Your mother can hamper the war efforts. Minerva is our best strategist. Caelus wants to cripple us," Venus replied.

"He is influenced by love and a sense of duty," Venus continued. "You know the sense of duty well. The story of Regulus has been taught to Romans multiple times. His love is for Terra, and it can be exploited."

"It's not like we can harm her to hurt him," Reyna muttered.

"You think too much like a brute," Venus chided. "Love can make the smartest men do the silliest things. You can take Marc Antony as an example. He gave up power in Rome for love. He fled the battle at Atticum when his lover did the same."

"Caelus wanted to return to be with his lover. Since that failed, he wants revenge. A man who wants vengeance is practically invincible. His conviction must be weakened," Venus continued.

"How?" Reyna wondered. She rubbed her temples. A headache was starting to form.

"That is something you will have to find out Roman," Venus replied. She led Reyna back to her friends. "You demigods must return to your camps and stabilize them."

"What do we do after that?" Percy questioned.

"We rescue Minerva, Mars, and Bellona," Reyna said. "After that, we are going to reforge Kronos' sword. The final step is to take Ouranos out."

"That's a tall order," Annabeth commented.

"Ouranos has a general. His name is Odovacer. He was the one who killed the last Roman emperor and caused the Senate to dissolve. Ouranos wants him to take out Camp Jupiter," Reyna added.

"We have our mission then," Piper said.

"I can give you a ride to Camp Half-Blood," Sally offered. "The van isn't that damaged."

"That would be good," Annabeth replied with a smile.

"You three go on without me. I have to get to Camp Jupiter," Reyna said.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Percy questioned.

"No," Reyna answered. She looked up at the sky. It felt nice to have a clear objective.

"You might want to clean yourself up first," Percy suggested.

"The rain will do it," Reyna muttered. She walked towards her fallen sword and picked it up. After sheathing it, she looked back at her friends. "Give the shield to Jupiter and explain what happened."

"Stay safe," Annabeth ordered.

"You too," Reyna said. "We'll contact each other when the camps are stabilized."

Reyna turned away from her friends. She took a deep, pained breath. The quest had left her wounded both mentally and physically. It seemed like it would only get worse from there. She was prepared though.

The daughter of Bellona looked up at the sky. The rain seemed like it had almost stopped. She took a moment to look at the destruction that the explosion had caused. Mortals seemed to be shell shocked. It would seem like a terrorist attack.

Reyna placed a hand to her sword. She knew that she would play a big role in what was to come. Ouranos had targeted her family, and she could not forgive that. Now, he wanted to attack her home. Reyna swore to herself that she would take Ouranos out no matter the cost.

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**This is it. This is the final chapter. I want to give a big thanks to everyone who has read this story. I have huge plans for the sequel. Hopefully, the sequel will be out sometime this summer. I hope to see you there.**


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